The Troupe approach the Shadow Druid’s Grove and meet the morally ambiguous Eldoth, seeking to rescue his lover Skie from Baldur’s Gate. Aegon goes along with his plan for now, hoping his knowledge of the Cloakwood will be useful. Meanwhile, Khalid leaves the group and returns to the Friendly Arm Inn.

7 Eleasias 1368

We hear a scream through the trees and we stop to see where it came from. I realise that Coran has wandered away from us briefly. When we find him a huge warg with white fur is snarling at him.

It opens its mouth and a blast of freezing cold air bursts forth, forming small shards of ice as it flies toward Coran. He’s able to duck behind a tree just before he is hit by the blast.

This is a winter wolf! Jaheira rushes it through the trees and knocks it off its feet, giving Coran and White the chance to take aim.

White finishes the beast off, but the forest gives us no time to recover as more winter wolves are already closing in on us. Of course, they hunt in packs like wargs.

The wolves try to stay at range, but Jaheira doesn’t let them. A couple of brown bears watch us as we cut them down.

What is a pack of winter wolves doing in a temperate forest like Cloakwood? I didn’t think they would travel this far south of the Spine. There is no point in pondering as there will be no answers.

Coran says that we should take the pelts. They will fetch a decent coin from the right person. We pull out our knives and get to work.

We pack the pelts into the Bag of Holding and move on before any more winter wolves show up. We follow what seems to be a makeshift path, thinking it may lead us to the Shadow Druid’s grove.

A short way along the path we notice an eerie silence. Not a single bird can be heard. We are then approached by a female elf, barefoot and wearing very little clothing. There is something about her that seems… unnatural. She doesn’t walk like an elf, she’s almost shambling like a zombie.

Jaheira: What do you mean by that?

Crazy Dryad: Leave my wood!

Jaheira: You’re not a very sociable being are you?

Crazy Dryad: Do as I bid!

Jaheira: I am afraid I cannot do that. We have to get to the mines and…

Crazy Dryad: Feel Nature’s fury as she lashes out at thee!

She must be a dryad, one who’s clearly lost her marbles. They aren’t normally so aggressive unless they are protecting their oak. She screams as she attacks Jaheira, but she is no match for us in her madness.

We find some Potions of Healing and some Antidotes on her corpse. Jaheira is concerned that the dryad was so aggressive. It must be the influence of the Shadow Druids, she says. Normally they avoid people and stay close to their Oak. To outright attack people like this something must be influencing her.

There is little more we can do for here so we move on.

We come to a bridge across the river. In my experience bridges in the wild are usually guarded, so I want to explore this side of the river a little more before we cross.

As we map out this part of the river bank and avoid disturbing the bears, Coran talks of adventures to come.

Well there was that wyrmling… But I guess he must mean a fully grown wyrm. The small creature we killed at the cliffs must not count.

Aegon: I do not think that we are ready to face a dragon yet, Coran. They are beasts of legendary power and…

Coran: How hard can it be to slay a wyrm? The main thing is to never let your heart sink into despair, not when you are facing a very angry red dragon, nor when a fair maiden gives you an icy look.

Aegon: Dragons and maidens. Coran, will you ever mature?

Coran: Is this going to turn into a lecture on responsibility? Thank you, but I *am* your elder and I explicitly forbid it! Why, they grilled me enough to last me ’till the end of time during my last stay in Suldanessellar.

And all because I carved my name and my lady’s on the trunk of the Tree of Life… and with a very attractive heart around it, mind you. In hindsight, it’s my own fault. I should not have put mine down, but love blinds a man to reason.

I laugh at the thought of him carving a heart into a ancient and sacred tree. Meanwhile, Helga shows a newfound respect for Jaheira.

Jaheira: I do not fight for validation, dwarf. Your half-hearted compliment means little to me.

Helga: What, ye want me to actually say sorry?

Jaheira: That is your choice, if you wish to admit your earlier error.

Helga: Bah, I’ll keep being stubborn about that.

…But ye do fight well. That I will concede.

We don’t find anything of interest on this side of the river so we return to the bridge. As I expected, it is guarded.

Jaheira: Who are you? What is it that you want with us?

Laskal: My name is Laskal, and I the protector of the Cloakwood. I would ask you a question before I take my leave of you. I have a message for those who serve the Iron Throne. Would you be a representative of that organisation?

Jaheira: We have no connection with that evil group. We are sworn enemies of the Iron Throne.

Oh damn. She’s out to start a fight. I reach for my sling.

Laskal: Hmm. An enemy of my enemy is a friend. My earlier question was just a test. I am glad to know that you also oppose this organisation. They have been a blight on these woods ever since they re-opened the ancient dwarven iron mine. Well, I am glad to know you. Take this, hopefully it will aid you against the Iron Throne. The Iron Throne’s fort is located to the north-east.

He gives her a white and gold staff as well as a small bottle, then marches off into the trees.

Another iron mine? A secret one? They must have planned to take over iron production in the Coast! Is this whole conspiracy simply about making gold?

I ask Jaheira how she knew he wouldn’t start a fight. She says that no protector of the woods would ally themselves with and industrial organisation like the Iron Throne. I ask to see what he gave to her. The bottle is a Potion of Invulnerabilty, which can help deflect attacks.

The staff is both a weapon and a source of healing. It radiates magical energy, a power that was forged before time itself.

With Laskal out of our way we are free to explore the forest on the other side. We are surprised to find another polar creature in this forest, this time a bear with white fur. Why are there so many creatures from cold-climates here? Is it the influence of the Shadow Druids? Or could it be something to do with the Iron Throne’s mine?

It roars as we approach, clearly not happy to see us.

Jaheira charges the bear and we support her. We find ourselves surrounded by druids. Could these be the Shadow Druids?

A female druid, presumably their leader, calls out to us.

White: We’re sorry but we are just passing through. Could you give us directions to the Cloakwood Mines?

Miranda the Witch: No.

Worth a try White. Looks like we have a fight on our hands. The barbarian flies into a Rage and starts swinging his flails at the witch.

I ask the Weave to show the druids Horrors. As I finish the spell, I could swear that a squirrel snarls at me.

The squirrel lets out a squeak that sounds something like a scream and goes running away. Three of the druids also panic and decide to flee the battle. The Weave has been good to us this day.

Helga utters some words in Dwarven, a prayer to Heala asking her to Bless us in our fight.

The witch-druid has been attempting to use her magic, but White’s flails have proved too much of a distraction. The barbarian lands one final blow that caves in her skull.

Meanwhile, Jaheira is holding her own against the two bears, as the remaining druid joins them in combat.

I give her an assist, finishing off the polar bear with a blow to its neck.

We turn all our weapons on the other bear. It’s fur turns red as bullets and arrows pierce its flesh and it collapsed to the ground before breathing its last. The druid stands alone now.

He doesn’t stand for long after White sends an arrow through his neck.

Coran and Eldoth kill another druid, this one cowering in fear rather than running away.

The effects of the Weave wear off and the druids are no longer afraid. The squirrel that snarled at me before comes running back toward us. It leaps at White, teeth poised to sink into his arm. He takes aim with his bow and kills it in mid-air.

The druids return to us to avenge their fallen companions. We make a pincushion of one of them.

Another attempts to charge us, seemingly having a death wish. We grant it to him.

After a moment’s rest we search the bodies of the druids. They were all wearing studded leather armour that have been enchanted for extra protection.

Two of them carried enchanted quarterstaffs.

One carried an enchanted scimitar.

The last druid carried a club that almost looked like a tree branch, with bright green leaves growing out of it. Jaheira says to be careful when handling it, as it will inflict poison upon those it strikes.

On the witch-druid, we find an ancient Ankh that provides protection and wisdom, as well the ability to paralyse any who attack. Only one with true balance can wear this pendant, so Jaheira slips it around her neck.

She wields an ornate scimitar that faintly glows blue with magical energy. Even Eldoth cannot tell what kind of sword this is, but he says it feels comfortable in his hands, though not as comfortable as the scimitar he already wields.

Her armour, though it looks to be leather, is actually made from vines and branches. They are both sturdy and flexible, allowing for absorption of heavy blows.

She also wears green gauntlets, that provide both speed and a resistance to the gaze of a basilisk.

Jaheira says a prayer for the bears and we move on. We cross a small stream and we hear a familiar chittering sound. It can’t be. I thought we had left spider territory…

Jaheira rushes headlong into the fray, swinging her club wildly at the huge spiders. They are few in number, and we are used to fighting them by now. They don’t last long with no webs to slow us down.

We press on into the depths of the Cloakwood, seeking out the Shadow Druid’s grove. The Cloakwood throws more than spiders at us, but we fight on through. A pack of worgs attempts to surround us.

Tasloi lunge at us, attempting to poke holes in us with their spears.

We fight our way past the beasts and find ourselves near a large rock protruding into the trees. On one side we see a large cave with strange sounds coming out of it. Coran tells us that he knows these sounds – they are the telltale signs of wyverns. It seems that we have found the lair of his “dragon” at last.

I pause for a moment. I’m hesitant to explore the cave right away. There could be more than one of these lizards within. Or the rumours could turn out to be true, and an actual dragon could reside within. We will have to be wary…