Meditating in his cabin on the airship, 😎Bori senses something behind him. As he turns around, out the corner of his eye he senses a fleshy mass in the corner of the room, that disappears in an instant.
Walking to the corner of the room, he investigates and can only deduce that a rat may have been scurrying there.
🐰Faefina is in a trance.
Bori's dreams that night are full of whispers of anger and menace.
🧔♂️Harald, smoking at the back of the ship, hears a whisper in the wind telling him to look in his pocket. He finds a letter, promising renewed contact from the 🎖Genial General. The wind whispers once more: '...death...'. Unseen, the smoke from his pipe forms a menacing face behind him.
Exploring the ship, 🧌Gronk runs into the chef. The chef gives him broth and lobster. The only other person in the canteen is Kineeta, who is stirring her broth and not eating. She asks if Gronk has detected any ripples in the magical sphere. Gronk realises that magic recently does feel more 'purposeful'. Kineeta says that despite her efforts she still feels watched by magic, and she cannot blind the seer. She advises him to watch his words, and he promises to look after the few books he has.
The following day, the party sees a sea of trees, with one very large tree in the middle. Still in a trance Faefina is faced directly towards the tree.
In a clearing by a cliff face, the ship sets to land. On the cliff face are a large number of Thri-kreen, one of them levitating. The ship lands, and Kineeta radiates an enchanting presence as she descends the plank to greet the Thri-kreen. The levitating Thri-kreen demonstrates a certain wariness at seeing Kineeta and Gronk.
Telepathically, the Thri-kreen says that he understands their language, and says that an old friend of theirs is here - he points behind him to a Kobold - 🍀Lola. She's very excited to see them, and tells them about the new magic she is learning. Lola explains that they've been called by the Longest Lived One, who is still asleep in the tree. On awakening, the 🌳Druid Enclave can occur and a vote will be made on a newly raised question.
Harald tells them about the armies that have landed on the continent, and points out that conflict may be imminent, especially thanks to Lady Hillaria. Lola says that some of the druids are taking a very aggressive stance against these incursions, and that the Thri-kreen and the Plasmoids are guarding them.
At the enclave, 12 druids (including Lola) are present with their retinues. One wood elf, Mrrrion, looks very fierce; Mrs. Bobbit is there too. Mrs Bobbit, still exuding a false friendly vibe, greets them, and asks for news. She tells them that on this continent there is a species of apple that is poisonous unless prepared correctly. Harald asks Kineeta if she also gets bad vibes from Mrs Bobbit, and she concurs. Kineeta points out that mages are not liked in The New World. She says that in the old world, Mages are highly respected, but here Druids fill that role. Kineeta points out the Faefina is a cleric of ☯Ila, and all druids are known to draw power from Ila. She suspects That Faefina is in communication with the Longest Lived One now.
Mrrrion points at 🧔♂️Harald and 😎Bori and says that they look tough; and should join them in hunting for food. Bori refuses, and Gronk offers to help. Mrrrion senses two boar nearby. All three of them somehow manage to misstep and alert the boar, which charge at them.
Mrrrion gets gored, and takes 7 Dmg, knocking her to the ground and making her drop her spear.
The second boar spears Harald, knocking him down and doing 14 Dmg.
Gronk hits one of the boars with Shocking Grasp, dealing 6 Dmg.
Mrrrion gerts up, with a hole in her side, and summons down a storm of fire on the boars. One of the boars dies, and the other looks worse for wear.
Gronk takes 42 Fire Dmg. Gripped by Wild Magic Surge, Gronk finds himself unable to speak, emitting pink bubbles instead.
On seeing this, Mrrrion puts her hand over her wound, points at Gronk, and he is healed for 11 HP.
She throws her spear at the remaining boar, killing it.
Mrrrion declares Harald and Gronk to be pathetic, and has them take the boars back to camp.
Back at camp, Bori is greeted by Misocordia, a halfling. Mistaking him for a child, Bori, promises that he'll be a Full-ling one day, patting him on the head. Misocordia asks about the old World, and points out that Goliaths are found in the New World too. He also notes the scar on Bori's side, that may be linked to dark magic. He asks if anyone has ever made a clone of Bori; Bori points out that someone has. Misocordia says that some type of cultist or dark priest is fucking around with him.
Misocordia says that the stolen flesh must be returned to Bori, and kept safe. Misocordia promises to help Bori after the enclave is concluded. Failing to find a booster seat, Bori places him back on the ground.
Dinner is served, and Gronk and Harald are healed. Faefina is now covered in vines, but does not seem trapped.
Later that night, Bori notices some disgusting clawed frog-like creatures surrounding the camp. Sounding the alarm, Bori prepares for battle. In their minds, everyone hears: 'Slaad attack!'.
A Slaad attacks Gronk, hitting twice for 10 Piercing Dmg
A second Slaad hacks at Bori three times, missing every time
A third Slaad attacks Harald, hitting once for 9 Dmg.
A fourth Slaad hits Harald for 12 Dmg.
A fifth Slaad hangs back, points it's staff, and hits Harald, Gronk, and Bori for 8 Force Dmg each. All three of them are charmed by the effect.
Gronk casts Wall of Fire down the battlefield, through the Slaad, burning them for 33 Fire Dmg.
Bori uses Patient Defence to step in front of the second spellcaster, attacking it twice and hitting it once for 13 Dmg. Bori remains in the wall of fire for intimidation purposes.
Harald attacks each of the two Slaad next to him, dealing 19 Dmg to one and knocking it back 15 ft. The other takes 18 Dmg.
The Charm effect wears off.
The Fifth Slaad, at the back in front of Bori, takes 33 fire dmg and hits Bori for 8 Dmg, and frightening him.
The Sixth Slaad, also in front of Bori, hits Bori for 18 Slashing and 11 Necrotic Dmg. Bori is able to reduce this down to 11 Necrotic Dmg.
The First Slaad takes 16 Dmg, and moves out of the fire. It hits at Gronk three times, for 30 Dmg.
The second Slaad hits Harald for 20 Dmg.
The third Slaad steps back toward Bori and hits but doesn't hurt him.
Gronk casts Haste, and uses his staff to teleport next to Harald.
A Wild Magic Surge allows him to see invisible creatures, and he sees a smoke demon face hovering over Harald.
Bori, still frightened of the Fifth Slaad, moves away from it toward the First Slaad, and attacks it, hitting it in terror three times for 52 Dmg and demolishing it as he runs past.
Harald hits the Third Slaad for 20 Dmg, cleaving through it with his Halberd. It drops to the ground.
He pushes the fourth Slaad, knocking it back through the wall of fire, immolating it. Harald moves between the remaining Slaad and Gronk.
The Third Slaad steps towards Harald, who uses his Sentinel to slash it to pieces.
The last two Slaad take some damage from the wall of fire. The Fifth Slaad hits Harald for 20 Dmg, and charmning him.
The Sixth Slaad points his staff at Bori, blasting for 8 Force dmg and poisoning him.
Gronk casts Fireball on the two Slaad, dealing 37 Dmg. They drop to the ground as ashes.
The rest of the camp have also defeated the other Slaad. Kineeta checks on Gronk, and sotto voce tells him that they need to slip away. At that point Mrrrion points her finger at them and shouts: 'Them! Mages!' Three of the Druids stand up, and announce that the mages have desecrated this sacred space, and demand that Kineeta, Gronk, Harald, and Faefina leave.
The druids point, and vines encase them, pulling them toward a new opening in the tree. Lola protests, but the druids tell her to go back to her forsaken old land. Bori is not affected.
The party pulled into the tree find themselves in an opulently appointed foyer, with ivory carvings. An attendant greets them and says that the Archmage will see them shortly. Kineeta points out that they should not have been sent here, and that they seem to be at the Arcanum.
Party gets 4025Xp ea.