Session 18 - Island-Hopping

[Johan]

Forest Keep Campaign
Session #18
Into the Swamplands: Part 1
[Saturday 25 June 05]

Sprouting Grass/Egg 1:

After cooking and packing up the extra spider meat for the road, the party continues on, traveling into the swamplands in search of the swamp-witch. They travel the whole day and eventually rest fitfully that night.

Sprouting Grass/Egg 2: Morning:

The party travels further into the swamp. After about an hour of traveling, the path flattens.

As the party makes their way northeasterly it is apparent to Valen, Himo, Mirri and Arlen that this part of the forest is less well-traveled than the area around the Wendigo lodge. This is evident in the presentation of undergrowth that, in the early part of the morning is less dense but becomes thicker as the sun climbs to its zenith.

To Zurn and Belwar it seems that the forest has closed in upon them to some extent. Perhaps it's nothing more than the encroaching spring and the presence of new leaves on all this shrubbery. These wiry, willowy plants seem to be nearly a month ahead of the trees in terms of foliage.
Before the sun is a hand past its height the ground has become wet and your feet slog as you trek onward. The day is uncharacteristically warm and the errant mosquito flits nearby every now and then.

The ground gradually becomes more and more wet, and the undergrowth more dense. This, combined with the rocky terrain that presents boulders the size of small houses, often force you to pass through a given area serially. At length you are forced to march single-file through the thickening terrain.

The more nature-oriented of the group notes that there is a suspicious lack of wildlife in this swamp (no birds, squirrels?) all is eerily quiet.
They soon come upon an area of raised, dry, firm land akin to a small island (GM's Note: "Room 1") in the swampy land. There appear to be three paths leaving the island.

The group elects to take a twisting path that initially leads south-easterly, but before too long bends back northward. As they proceed onward, they at length come upon another islet ("Room 6"). Upon this islet they find the desiccated body of a human man. This body appears to have been mummified by way of drying. A quick search of the man turns up a pouch containing 5gp and longsword (which Arlen takes).

They take the 1:00 path away from the island

After leaving the island the party trudges eastward the atmosphere becomes increasingly stuffy it becomes harder to breath.

At length, another path merges with the one that they are traveling. They pass a beaver carcass, similarly mummified to the man they found earlier.
A third islet ("Room 2") is found as the day turns towards night. They camp on this islet.

Sprouting Grass/Egg 3: Morning:

The party wanders onward following the paths southward however, they soon find that the winding paths are beginning to lead them out of the swamp they turn around and backtrack until the path turns east however, the east path soon turns south again so the party turns about and backtracks again

After exhausting all of the paths, the party finally backtracks all the way back to the beginning [room number one] here, the party takes the left fork instead, heading northwestward.

They continue to follow various paths through the swamp and finally end up camping on yet another isle.

Sprouting Grass/Egg 4: Morning:

The party wanders further into the dank swamp they soon come across another island gnomish mummy w/damaged pouch (3 platinum)
The path widens and they soon come across another island ("Room 12"). This one is much larger (four or five times larger) than previous islands.
As the party spreads out upon this island, a huge spider (bigger than last) that had been unobserved in the trees above suddenly grabs Zurn, lifting the dwarf from the ground! Arlen immediately backs away while starting up his now familiar "kill the spider" song.

The battle starts up.

Arlen fires twice, hitting both times.

Zurn casts bless, but is bit by the spider and soon falls limp [with reduced STR] the others continue the battle defeating the spider in good time.

Zurn is down and cannot get up. His injury is relatively minor, but he is too weak from the spider's poison to even stand [STR reduced to 1].

The others check on him, but there is little they can do for him. Arlen helps remove his armor, so that the dwarf can at least move his limbs.
Looking about this large islet, there are five wooden carved statues of spiders. These statues / carvings are quite large, appearing to be carved out of full-grown oak trees, and are covered with overgrowth; they are spaces around the perimeter of the island at even intervals. The party also notes that there appear to be parts of three humanoid bodies there. Investigating, Arlen and Himo find treasure:

Three vials of clear, thick liquid
Ring, platinum w/ gold filigree
108 cp
254 sp
130 gp

Arlen casts detect magic:

The three vials of clear liquid [magic] similar aura faint low lvl magic platinum ring [magic] diff aura faint low lvl magic longsword [non-magic]
Arlen, Himo, Valen, Belwar and Zurn divide the coins evenly: 26 gp, 50 sp, 21 cp each.

The leftover coins (3 cp and 4 sp) are given to Mirri, who is the least interested in treasure.

rest/recover

[XP awarded. Arlen achieves 3rd lvl.]

Sprouting Grass/Egg 5: Morning:

Arlen casts identify on one of the potions (Zurn's): it is a Sweetwater potion! He then casts identify on the platinum ring: it is a ring of spell storage (which is then given back to Himo) Zurn drinks the Sweetwater potion, and although he is not instantly better, he does feel better and a little stronger.

Belwar impulsively downs one of the unidentified potions (assuming it to be Sweetwater?). The result is not quite what he expected: the potion burns his throat on the way down. His mind spins and he sees tiny bursts of light; pain wracks his body and he is driven to hands and knees.
All of the potions seem identical, so it should have been Sweetwater...
hmmmm... perhaps Sweetwater is not powerful enough to cure the Wendigo's bite?

The party determines to not stay upon this islet any longer, and as Zurn is still unable to walk (still too weak, although he's feeling much better!), a cot is made for the Dwarven priest.

Mirri and Belwar carry the cot with Zurn, but Belwar has become increasingly ill-tempered and is somewhat rough in carrying the foot of the cot. He soon is relieved my Mirri.

Thus the party leaves the island at mid-day, heading NE find another(?) dead gnome nothing of interest.

Sprouting Grass/Egg 6: Morning:

After recovering his spent spells, Arlen casts identify on Himo's potion (the last one of the three): it is Sweetwater! Himo drinks the potion (thinking perhaps that Belwar's unidentified potion was not Sweetwater after all). He suffers the similar effects as Belwar, though, and passes out from the pain. It seems that they are beyond the aid of a simple Sweetwater potion.

To be continued:
[DM's note: left off at room 23]