Candle in the Dark Campaign Diary - Session 7: Old Nock

The Cast:

• Enid, half-elf cleric of Bahamut
• Nashgar, dragonborn paladin of Bahamut
• Leilua, tiefling warlock
• Corrin, halfling barbarian

The heroes continue their fight with the possessed tree called "Old Nock".  Nashgar poured a potion of gaseous form into the mouth of the high priestess of Avandra, Chandara, whom they had followed here.  The potion had the desired effect of changing her into a cloud of vapor that released her from the grip of the tree.  The tree responded by unleashing a series of vine-like branches at the heroes, attempting to ensnare, choke and hang them from its branches.  The heroes fought hard against Old Nock, but struggled against the vines, having to break free from their grip.  As they damaged the tree, the entity possessing it grew angry and fearful of their assault and unleashed hallucinogenic spores, which affected Corrin and Leilua, causing them to believe the tree to be friendly to them, rather than an enemy.  With those two out of the fight, it was left to Enid and Nashgar to destroy the tree, but Nashgar was vine-whipped and hung from the upper branches. Enid delivered the killing blow, shattering the truck with his divine power and causing it to fall over.  

The heroes act quickly to save Nashgar, and when Chandara resumes her normal form, they aid her as well, as the wounds inflicted upon her by the tree threatened her well-being.  As the group rests, they see the forest around them, which had been corrupted by the influence of the entity possessing Old Nock, begin to take on a more normal appearance and the blights that had been growing from the tree's spores regained their natural state.  Chandara told the heroes that she had learned about the tree's history from descendants of Horvath's druidic order and came here to try and banish the entity from this plane, but it was more powerful than she had believed and it invaded her mind, rendering her helpless until the heroes came and freed her.  She thanked them and made an oath to continue Horvath's work to ensure the entity does not return to the tree as penance for her failure.

After a brief rest in the forest, the heroes and Chandara return to the Goathorne Inn, rest for the night and the following day, Chandara bids farewell to them as she returns to Restwell Keep.  The heroes, not being certain if giving Lord Drysdale the Slaying Stone is wise despite having signed a contract with him to acquire the item for him, decide to put off that decision until they have had time to investigate the other task they had been given by the dragon Tyristys, which is to help her find the lair of the Prophet of Tiamat.  They asked Chandara if she knew of a Lord Mage Starris, but she stated she did not, that the title of "Lord Mage" was what was used in the time of the Nerath Empire and she was not familiar with anyone using it in current times.  She suggested asking the Mages of Saruun, or perhaps the High Septarch of Fallcrest.  Maybe even Lady Allande Markelhay, the wife of Lord Markelhay, ruler of Fallcrest, as she is a magic-user of some repute.

The heroes rest, restock their supplies at the inn, then head out towards Fallcrest.

End of session.