Category The Tormentors

Carrying on the assault, the party quickly scans the inside of the manor house and the surroundings, looking for the presumed occupant of the guarded room. A secret door is found and it is surmised that the occupant has used it to flee. Malchor, Bababobo and Kormier move towards the barracks and catch a glimpse of motion as one of the shuttered windows is pulled shut. While the bemused druid watches from a rooftop, a nightmare bursts forth from the stable and becomes airborne within seconds.
As he decides what to do about it and is busy watching the creature’s flight path, the wounded mountain giant crawls out from the stable building. He hurls a dead horse at the cleric and strikes him, causing him to tumble to the ground...

Deciding that fooling with ghosts is a bad idea, the group takes off on a new tangent. They travel to the southeast to try and make contact with the druid in exile. Along the way, Goldpiece frets over the possibility that the group is carrying an extra traveling companion in the guise of a party member, but is in actuality the ghost. The ghost denies this most vigorously of course and the party things the elf is a ‘bit teched in tha haid’.

While they do not make it to the druid himheritsself, they do meet with druidical followers, rangers and the like. They get further information on the depredations of the Rotting Man and the general attempt to seal off the old forest from interlopers...

Returning to Uthmere, the group gets the lay of the land and decides to do some preliminary investigation of the surrounding areas. Various plans are put forth and dismissed and finally, the druid is dispatched to scout the edge of the region known as the great barrow – a vast accumulation of cairns, tombs, graves and the like. The group ventures further in and finds a gravesite complete with a magical sword. They loot, and the banshee that lives within takes offense. A few moments later, Lad is fleeing the scene in abject terror and the limp bodies of Bababobo and his druid pal adorn the turf. The rest of the group brings the unruly spirit to heel and they unearth the bodies of a pair of elves. When they attempt to strip them of their wealth, the Lad is turned into a ferret...

As the tentacles burst forth into the coffin world, the coffins start to crumble where it touches them. Billowing ash accompanies its entrance to this cheery place and the group responds with a hearty ‘haveatchoo’. However, when the Gal charge into the maelstrom of tentacles, her armor becomes pitted and cracked and the magic blade shows signs it is not immune from the ashy acid storm. So, a hasty retreat is beat. The beast signals displeasure by hurling an exploding tentacle that coats the party in an acid mist.

Since the beast seems intent on passing through the portal, it seems like a good idea to hurl it back...

Passing through the portal in the skeletal remain of the prehistoric eel-thingy, the group steps into a vast expanse of sand under a sunless sky – though it is bright and well lit nonetheless. After some wandering, the sound of surf is heard. Eventually, the group reaches an encampment of sorts, where the tattered remains of a tent and the mangled remains of a guard are found. Scraps of paper indicate that others were here and have sailed on the sea. The gem of seeing reveals an emerald mist stretched across the water, \far away.
The group deploys the boats and is off into the surf. After several hours of rowing and paddling, they reach the mist and pass through to reveal a large island jutting out of the sea...