Session 19: The Timber Festival

The Timber Festival with Finn

Summary

Githyanki, moments before disaster

The Timber Festival

Dreamsilk

Shrieker

The party awoke in the Astral Plane to githyanki demanding stolen silver. Rather than parley, they incinerated them with a fireball through Diedric's fading Tiny Hut. With the threat gone, Octavius planeswalked them home, guiding the group through the Blind Eternities until they landed in a blooming apple orchard near Thunderstone.

Elowen departed for her coven, and the party entered town amid the Timber Festival—maypoles, log contests, and fried sausages. A pudgy halfling named Finn offered potions but revealed himself, under a charm, as a Zhentarim spy smuggling dreamsilk. Rather than kill him, they charmed him into joining the festivities, letting him go once the spell wore off.

At the bridge to Hullack Forest, Oversword Faril denied them passage, but his subtle, puppet-like behavior raised concern. The party flew south, slipped past the walls, and entered the gnarled woods unseen. They found a wolf with its brain devoured and met Shrieker, a dark ranger who warned them to be cautious. As the session closed, Lilia's bat spotted a brain with legs stunning a stag—an intellect devourer on the move.

The party chose caution over confrontation, slipping deeper into Hullack’s shadowed woods as the session drew to a close.

XP Award

• 525 XP for obliterating three githyanki with one fireball
  • 100 XP for being clever and doing it through Diedric's Tiny Hut
• 700 XP for preventing Finn from warning the Zhentarim about the party
• 500 XP for deducing that Oversword Faril is likely an illithid puppet
• Total: 1825 XP
• Current XP: 28688 XP -> 30513 XP (Level 7)
• (Required for next level: 34000 XP)

Things That Happened

The Silver Void

• Date: 18th of Tarsakh (The Claw of the Storms, April), four in the morning, 1372 DR
  • Time is frozen while in the Astral Plane. 28 hours of halted aging have accrued.
• While long resting in Diedric's Tiny Hut, Lilia resummoned an annoyed thistle, appearing out of her hat.
• The party awoke to the gentle ringing of Diedric's warhammer as three githyanki hovered outside their bubble.
• The lead githyanki knocked on the sphere, demanding they return their stolen silver, promising quick deaths.
  • Unit 137 retracted his spikes slowly.
• With just a few minutes left before the shelter expired, the party deliberated trying to recast it as Octavius waited for the lands of Rashemen to respond to his call.
• Elowen Stonereach conjured a chalice constellation around herself.

Encounter: Three Star Wanted Level

• The party instead hurled a fireball through the shelter at the githyanki, obliberating them inside of a temporary miniature sun.
  • Their remaining limbs floated in the void.
• Impressed, Elowen dismissed the constellation.
• The party recalled that githyanki can shield themselves from detection through their psionic ability.
  • Perhaps a similar spell would have prevented the party from being spotted in the Astral Plane, as the githyanki likely willed themselves toward the silver thieves as a periodic patrol.
• The party looted three psi blades, chunks of silver half-plate, and 28 gp from a surviving pouch.

The Second Round

• Well-rested and recovered, Octavius listened to Glenn describe his home in Cormyr -- a burned keep in Hullack Forest, taken by the Zhentarim clone of Manshoon. He hasn't been there in six months.
• Octavius studied his surroundings prior to the planeswalking attempt.
• Drawing on the lands of Rashemen, he channeled his mana outward.
• The party ascended from the Astral Plane to the Blind Eternities, following Octavius's scintillating golden orb as he followed broken paths through swirling blue mists.
• The party briefly glimpsed a crystalline sphere before landing, kneeling on one knee, on soft soil.

Apple Blossoms

• Date: 18th of Tarsakh (The Claw of the Storms, April), four in the morning, 1372 DR
  • Time has unfrozen and the party has aged 28 hours.
• They experienced air and their physical bodies once again, all aging 28 hours, experiencing significant hunger and thirst.
• Around them were blossoming apple trees.
  • Glenn visited these in his youth, deducing that they must be south of the town of Thunderstone, a seasonal logging village that was under his father's protection.
• Elowen bid the party farewell, conjuring a silver steed, riding bareback to her coven in Mistdale.
  • Lilia asked her to put in a good word for her.
  • Elowen agreed, stating that her coven would be visiting the Grove of Stars soon.
• The party took flight, leaving the apple orchards behind them.

Entering Thunderstone

• Date: 18th of Tarsakh (The Claw of the Storms, April), early morning, 1372 DR
• The party sighted Thunderstone, a walled city with its buildings placed defensively in a circle and towers only on its northern entrance, guarding against Hullack Forest to the north.
• Dozens of Purple Dragon knights were visible on patrol with their purple tabards.
  • Glenn explained that King Azoun I's princeling slew a black dragon so old that its scales had turned purple.
  • Glenn explained that the Purple Dragon knights only visited this town seasonally, leaving in the winter. They stay in their own two-story barracks.
• One of the guards spotted the party, gesturing them forward.
• He offered a choice: peacebindings or charter papers.
  • Glenn explained that in Cormyr, adventuring parties must be registered or sponsored by a noble -- else they must have purple peacebinding strings tying their weapons to their sheathes and scabbards. Breaking these is a crime.
  • The party consented to this practice, Glenn even being honest about his air sword.
• Hearing the sounds of merriment and music, the party proceeded, with the guard telling them to enjoy the Timber Festival.
• One of the guards stared at Unit 137. The party patted him and indicated that he would be good.

The Timber Festival

• The party witnessed the festival in earnest, including.
  • A maypole with women holding ribbons as men tried to climb it to reach a golden goblet.
    • The ribbon colors designated the womens' professions.
    • At one point, a dwarf attempting the climb lost his grip and began to fall 20 feet.
    • His fall was halted by sparkling motes of light, and people clapped as he landed softly on his back.
    • Diedric spotted a man in a simple brown cowl turn away and disappear into the crowd.
      • Glenn explained that War Wizards are always watching, helping keep the peace.
  • Log chopping competitions.
  • Log rolling and balancing competitions.
  • Bards playing lutes and flutes and drums.
  • Merchants selling fried sausages, meat pies, and more.
  • Purple Dragon guards keeping the peace.
  • A friendly halfling potions merchant.

The Potions Merchant

• The excited, pudgy halfling named Finn waved the party over, offering to sell concoctions to increase strength, charisma, and other claims.
• Glenn purchased a potion of strength and charisma from the halfling.
• The halfling asked the party what their intentions were, and if they were going to Hullack Forest.
• The party grew suspicious, and Diedric could tell that the halfling recognized Glenn and was trying to mask it, and was fishing for as much information as possible.
• Diedric questioned the halfling, and he admitted to having recognized Glenn, but not wanting to out him publicly.
• The halfling began packing up, saying that he had to go to see to his wife.
• Octavius stepped away and cast Detect Thoughts.
  • The halfling was desperately planning to hide into an alley to send a message to warn his masters that Lord Phaulkon was back and with allies.

The Alleyway

• Alerted by Octavius, the party followed the halfling into an alley, where he had climbed up to a window sill and was about to speak to a sending stone.
  • Diedric cast Fast Friends.
• Coming back down jovially, the halfling happily answered his bestie's questions.
  • He was an agent for the Zhentarim, keeping an eye on the town.
  • Their operation in Hullack Forest was smuggling dreamsilk, a drow hallucinogen, brought from the Underdark by the drow of Sschindylryn.
  • He was going to warn the Zhentarim of the party's arrival and to increase defenses.
  • He lied about having a wife.
  • He mentioned that those who take dreamsilk "dream of spiders".
  • He mentioned some of the Purple Dragon knights are addicted.
  • He hoped the party wouldn't kill him.
  • He mentioned he had heard rumors that Glenn had survived, but none of the other family members.
  • He also heard rumors of Shrieker, a figure that lurked in the forest, tying up bandits for the Purple Dragon knights to find.
  • He relunctantly let Diedric borrow his sending stone.
  • He relunctantly gave Lilia all of his vials of dreamsilk.

Enjoying the Festival

• The party had Finn join them for the festivities, as they ate meat pies and fried sausages.
• They witnessed the dwarf from earlier reach the golden goblet, and offer it to a strawberry blonde woman in a blue dress who had been holding a white ribbon.
  • She accepted the goblet, took a drink, and they both proceeded to a wine vendor to refill the goblet.
  • A young boy climbed the pole with ease and placed a new golden goblet at the top.
• The charm spell fading soon, the party let the halfling go.

The Stag Stone Bridge

• Date: 18th of Tarsakh (The Claw of the Storms, April), early afternoon, 1372 DR
• The party walked out the northern entrance to the Stag Stone Bridge, overlooking the Thunderflow river, which brought waters from the eastern Thunder Peaks.
• Many guards with crossbows and spears manned the two towers there.
• Their leader, the Oversword Faril, approached the party, telling them to halt and that access to Hullack Forest was forbidden by the crown due to disappearances.
  • Diedric noted that his mannerisms seemed off, almost like his motions and speech were rehearsed, like a puppet.
• The party mentioned that Finn was a drug dealer. The Oversword send two guards to question him.
• They were unable to convince the Oversword to allow them through.

Entering Hullack

• Date: 18th of Tarsakh (The Claw of the Storms, April), mid-afternoon, 1372 DR
• So the party exited the southern gate, then flew their carpet away and then secreted their way into the forest anyway after a few hours of flight.
• Octavius dramatically tried to tear his peacestrings with his quivering weak hands, but was unable to.
• The forest was darker and more gnarled than those of Rashemen, the oaks and cedars shielding much of the sunlight.
  • Lilia approved.

The Grisly Find

• After some traveling in the forest, hidden by Pass Without Trace, the party spotted a wolf, slain by having had its jaw forcely broken open.
  • Lilia noted its brain was missing, consumed through its mouth.
• The party shared notes and determined it must have been an illithid.
• They consulted with the mimir, and found that illithid were rarely seen outside of the Underdark unless desperate.

The Dark Ranger

• "So you must not be in league with them" a husky voice said, followed by a woman dressed in a cloak designed to make her look like a creature of the night when hiding in the canopy.
  • She descended from a grappling hook.
• She thanked them for identifying that it must be illithid, saying she had found seven of these animals in the last two tendays, but had been unable to track the creatures.
  • The party deduced because illithid can hover.
• She recognized Glenn, saying that she was his father's Ranger General before he was born.
• She said she avoided the Zhentarim, and had focused on bringing bandits to justice.
• She explained that the Oversword was not who he once was, and was no longer sending her signals, and that he once understood that justice must also serve in the shadows.
  • The party can light the beacons on the northern towers to summon her if she is needed.
  • Pooling their collective knowledge, they realized that Intellect Devourers can replace the brain of a person and puppeteer them, and that this may have been the Oversword's fate.
• She explained she would see to the Oversword, and that their deeds would show their true nature.
• She disappeared dramatically into the canopy.

Predator and Prey

• Date: 18th of Tarsakh (The Claw of the Storms, April), late afternoon, 1372 DR
• The party continued making their way through the forest.
• They heard the rustle of a predator chasing prey.
• Lilia sent her bat Thistle forward, who witnessed a brain with legs stunning a stag to death with psychic energy.
• It sensed the bat, and began climbing the nearest tree.
• Thistle flew away, in a direction not toward the party.
• Lilia reported this to the group, who then decided not to pursue the Intellect Devourer.
• The session came to an end.

Maps

Cormyr - Thunderstone

NPCs Encountered (or mentioned)

• Elowen Stonereach, the Coven Sister
• Manshoon, the Phaulkon-bane
• Kar'i'nas, Vex'thor, and Shi'ara, the Exploded Githyanki
• Nell Stoutarm, the Purple Dragon guard
• Gelk Splitbeard, the Dwarven Climber
• Mell, the Hidden War Wizard
• Amarisse Hearthtender, the Chosen Woman
• Finn Fatfoot, the halfling Dreamsilk Dealer
• Oversword Faril Laheralson, the Puppet Knight
• Shrieker, the Dark Ranger

DM Thoughts

• Smokescale and Unit 137 have been pensive and mostly quiet this session, although still noticed by NPCs.
• I need to give generative AIs specific instructions about the waistlines of characters.