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• Aros – Lightfoot Halfling, Rogue
• Galiena Erenaeth – Half Elf, Celestial Warlock / Druid
• Baldur – Human, Pack Chain Warlock (Spear) / Paladin
  • Hellina Kaitlyn Deramu – Human NPC, Wererat

The party returns to Kaltore – and sees that the town is still covered in trees – and the bark looks like wooden flesh rather than actual tree bark. Gazing inside the unusual town, the party sees it’s a large path through the town – but going through there – where there are roots everywhere – a path leads up to the mountain where the iron is.

As the all four (Aros, Baldur, Galiena and Kavium) enter – both Baldur and Kavium begin feeling nauseous. The party decides that perhaps splitting the party may be the better way to find the spirit woman’s necklace. Baldur suggests that he and Aros check one side, and Kavium and Galiena search the other side.

As Aros and Baldur search through the rubble – Aros pipes up, having found the necklace in one of the buildings. And just then a visage of a male spirit appears. “Where is she,” he moans.

“He can’t see us,” Baldur points out.

“I can not see you, but I can hear you… is she safe? I stayed behind to fight Lord Brenmoon’s men…” the ghost replies.

“You must be Zedvar?” Aros asks.

“I am,” the spirit replies. “Zedvar Rainscribe. I was a jeweler here in Kaltore… before the march of Lord Brenmoon’s men…”

“I am not really an expert at being dead – though I’ve had a near death experience a time or two – but are you able to leave here?” Baldur mentions.

“I am not,” the voice replies sadly. “I died in my home and seem to be bound to being only able to move through the remains of my home…”

“Well, we found your wife,” Aros begins.

“Right,” Baldur nods. “She’s fine. Well, not fine. She’s dead. And a spirit. Like you. She asked us to come here. Find that necklace he has. As a matter of fact, she complained about not being able to see something also. I think she said she couldn’t see you.”

“Is there something that binds you here?” Aros asks. “Like maybe a ring?”

“I was wearing a ring,” Zedvar replies in his ghostly voice.

Aros and Baldur do spot a body at the door that looks like a branch – similar to how they’d seen Alyson Rainscribe‘s body at the base – and there, they see a ring on a branch but determine it’s his fingers. Baldur breaks off the branch – and suddenly the entire town rumbles and feels as if a massive earthquake rattles the entire town – as rubble crumbles from this shattered walls. Baldur shouts, “That wasn’t me!”

Aros asks, “Do you feel any different?”

Zedvar replies, “I… feel different… I can… see you…”

“Can you leave your house now?” Aros asks.

Zedvar steps out. “Amazing.”

“Do you know what was up with that quake?” Baldur asks.

“It is the roots,” Zedvar explains in a haunting voice. “We gave ourselves to the roots. We come from the roots, we return to the roots.”

“What do you mean – going back to the roots and giving to the roots?” Baldur asks, curiously.

“We must sacrifice a willing participant to venture into the roots, they are devoured by the roots, and reborn through the roots – flowing all around us, feeding the roots, keeping us all safe… that is until Lord Brenmoon appeared with his warriors and mages,” Zedvar explains. “Then the great Dalasmon called his children back… back to feed him… so he could protect them by devouring them – using their essence to help fight off Lord Brenmoon’s men and wizards… their magic was powerful… but Dalasmon, he bought us time… some managed to escape, such as my wife, while others ran for the mines… little did they know… the seal… the seal… they sealed the caverns… that’s why they were here… to stop the mining of iron… so that weapons and armor could not be made to rise up against Lord Brenmoon… They would have done much more damage, but there was one among their ranks… a powerful wizard who struck some of them down… including fellow wizards… I do not know if Dalasmon summoned such a wizard or if there was some other reason for this…”

He is silent for a moment before he adds, “I expected Krysinda to appear… to protect that which she’d awakened… she is the one who gifted us with Dalasmon… she said she could help protect the town… by summoning a powerful treant… but the treant would require sacrifices…”

“Hold on,” Baldur shakes his head trying to understand. “So all these roots and things wrapped around this entire town – they’re all connected to a single treant?”

“Yes, that’s Dalasmon,” Zedvar answers.

“So how has this… Dallamook,” Baldur begins.

“Dalasmon,” Zedvar corrects.

“Sure, him, it, whatever – how does it feed if there’s no cultists now to ‘go back to the roots’, as you say,” Baldur asks.

“From my home, I’ve watched as Dalasmon has been forced to feed on wildlife,” Zedvar explains.

Baldur recalls seeing a mist descend from the mountains and the roots of the town seemed to react to it (see last session).

Meanwhile, as Galiena and Kavium search the other side of the small, cultist town, unaware that Aros and Baldur have found the necklace – Galiena suddenly hears a hollow voice call out, “Hey! Hey! Is that someone?”

Peering over to the building where the voice was coming from, Galiena called out, “It could be someone… what’s going on?”

The hollow voice calls back, “Hello! Hello! Please! Come over here and give me a hand if you could!”

Galiena peers towards the shattered window of the home, and notices what appears to be a green campfire coming from inside, barely illuminating the room. Galiena looks at Kavium who then shrugs to Galiena, “I can’t tell if whatever that is – is good or bad. Everything around me feels … sick.” Galiena nods, and quickly consumes a small potion to mend some of her wounds. Kavium opens the door by kicking it down – the rooted door gives way easily, he storms in – sword drawn. Inside, to his surprise, a skeletal figure in robes, with their skull on fire – face down.

“Oh! You made it! Could you help me?” the skeletal figure replies.

“How?” Galiena asks, surprised that the skeletal figure is even able to talk – with its head on fire, face down.

“Well if you could find out who killed me, that’d be swell,” the skeletal figure responds.

“OK, any ideas where to begin?” Galiena asks while Kavium stares at her blankly.

“Well, admittedly, I might have sort of deserved this… there was … an ounce of betrayal… on my behalf… I used to work for this wizard, Razathorn,” at the mention of his name, Kavium and Galiena exchange knowing glances and are rather shocked, “but … as it turned out… Razathorn after he did all these things for Lord Brenmoon… well, Lord Brenmoon figured he didn’t need Razathorn anymore… and… banished him – shaming him in the process. And, well, it didn’t really look like Razathorn had the upper hand in the deal when all the rocks came tumbling down, so I switched sides… and served Lord Brenmoon… and well, when we came marching to Kaltore, to do what we were told to do – which, tragically – was to murder the people of Kaltore – I heard a ‘pop’ sound behind me which sounded like a dimension door type spell – and next thing I knew – had a rod shoved through the back of my head – but to make matters worse, said person – who I suspect is Razathorn, a little angry I’d switched sides – used necromancy to ensure I couldn’t die – and this rod in my head… has kept me pinned down… I can’t lift my head… and to make matters worse, my head has been on fire… I don’t feel any pain from it… but no longer having eye lids… I can still see… and I’ve been stuck, face down, for I don’t know how long, with a burning light in my eyes…”

“So what can we do to help?” Galiena asks.

Kavium looks at her shocked that she’d be willing to help – not only one of Lord Brenmoon’s men who was here to commit murder – but an undead being at that. Galiena silences him with a smile and a finger on his lips.

“Well, I had a wand… I was quite fond of it… If you could find my wand, perhaps I could do something about this blasted fire… I have no idea why my head is on fire… other than to torment me because I can’t close my eyes,” the skeletal figure sighs.

Galiena and Kavium kick the dirt around the body but don’t locate any wand. Galiena examines the skeletal remains of the figure and realizes she’s heard of such a creature called Flaming Skull – but they’re typically detached from their body and float. She knows that typically a Flaming Skull is a mage consumed by fury. She takes a look at the skull, recalling he’d said that there was something shoved through the base of his skull.

She’s surprised to see a rod still shoved through the skull.

Galiena asks, “Well, before I tell you something – can I get your name?”

“Oh, yes,” the muffled voice of the skeletal figure replies, “My name is Darko Wintersage.“

“Well,” Galiena says, “I have some good news and some bad news. Good news, I think I see what’s keeping your head stuck to the ground. Bad news, you seem to have a rod shoved through your skull. And that’s what’s keeping you pinned to the ground.”

“Well that doesn’t sound pleasant, I knew I felt something pierce my skull in my moment of death,” Darko growls. “Can you pull it out?”

Kavium again looks at Galiena shaking his head – thinking that freeing this undead flaming skull is a horrible idea, no matter how chipper and friendly its voice may seem.

Galiena nudges Kavium, “He could be helpful.”

“He could also be absolutely evil,” Kavium whispers.

She flirts with Kavium and he sighs and reaches down and tries to pull the rod free of the skull – but is unable to do so. “Well, the gods have decided,” Kavium shrugs, wiping the sweat from his brow.

Galiena says, “You’re a wizard, right Darko?”

“I was,” he mutters, “when I was alive.”

“Maybe you know what this is – it’s a rod, with a horse on either end,” Galiena begins.

“Wait – a rod with a horse on each end? Can you look at the rod – right at the top of one of the horses’ head! Can you check if it has an activation lever – like a unicorn horn,” Darko mutters. (Galiena rolls a Natural 20)

Galiena notes, “I do see that.”

“Then it’s an immovable rod,” Darko explains. “That explains everything. Very magical item. So whoever did this had access to a lot of magical items and had to be really angry at me to have left this stuck in my skull. More and more, this is starting to sound like Razathorn did this to me…”

Kavium grabs Galiena’s hand. Galiena asks, “Darko, what are your intentions? Are you looking for revenge?”

“I mean, if you were murdered and undead, wouldn’t you want revenge? I mean, what I really want is my ability to cast spells… I can’t feel anything – but I am only aware of my skull, the rest of my body I can’t feel… which means, I can’t use my fingers, which are needed for a lot of spells…” Darko mutters.

“I have a few questions,” Galiena says.

“If you could remove the rod, I could float and see you face to face,” Darko replies.

“Tell me more about your time with Razathorn,” Galiena says.

“Well, like I said, I was studying with Razathorn… I was probably one of his top students – I must say, I was rather smashing when it came to spell casting. He always said how he was impressed with my power, and that if he was a Lich he would look to take over my body. Which, in hindsight, I am not sure if that’s as flattering now as it sounded back then… But yes, when Lord Brenmoon’s forces attacked Lord Starfall… and then, Lord Starfall seemed to have disappeared, and the Rocs fled… and then the curse over the island… that’s when he – he, being Lord Brenmoon – humiliated Razathorn and said he didn’t need him anymore… there was something about a fey, and eternal life… and Razathorn was furious – said he would experiment and find a way to humble and bring down Lord Brenmoon for his betrayal… he wasn’t found of betrayal, ever – but after that day, he was really sensitive to betrayal… but when I saw Lord Brenmoon’s forces… not just the warriors under his command, but many wizards also served him… that looked like the winning side, so I didn’t want to die… so I slipped away and joined Lord Brenmoon’s side and told him how Razathorn sought revenge… then the day came that we got the orders to come here to Kaltore, slaughter the people and shut down the mines, so that no one could harvest ore and make weapons or armor to rise against him. So that’s when I was here – and like I said, heard that odd pop sound then… here I am, face down, rod in my skull, talking to you and your boyfriend.”

Kavium smirks, and whispers, “Maybe he’s not so bad after all.”

“Darko, my friend and I are going to step outside real quick. We have some other friends here in the town with us,” Galiena says and yanks Kavium’s arm, forcing him to follow her outside.

Once outside, he smiles, “You heard what he said? Called me your boyfriend.”

“You also said we shouldn’t trust him,” Galiena shakes her head. “We should find Baldur and Aros and let them know what we found. See if they’ve had any luck finding the necklace.”

It’s at this time, that Galiena and Kavium feel the entire ground beneath their feet violently shake (this is due to Baldur breaking the branch to get the ring from the corpse, mentioned above which triggered the roots to react) and they hear Baldur shout, “That wasn’t me!”

Galiena shakes her head wondering what Baldur and Aros have gotten into that they were responsible for the quake. Quickly moving towards Baldur’s voice, Galiena and Kavium make their way up the town, stepping over the massive roots that seemed to be everywhere.

Just as Kavium and Galiena approach, they can hear Baldur’s voice – one of the only sounds in this haunted town, carrying through the street.

“Hold on,” Baldur shakes his head trying to understand. “So all these roots and things wrapped around this entire town – they’re all connected to a single treant?”

“Yes, that’s Dalasmon,” Zedvar answers.

“So how has this… Dallamook,” Baldur begins.

“Dalasmon,” Zedvar corrects.

“Sure, him, it, whatever – how does it feed if there’s no cultists now to ‘go back to the roots’, as you say,” Baldur asks.

“From my home, I’ve watched as Dalasmon has been forced to feed on wildlife,” Zedvar explains.

Galiena and Kavium are surprised to see there’s a spirit they’re speaking to as the enter the remains of Zedvar’s home.

“Hey guys,” Baldur gestures towards the spirit, “we made a friend.”

“We found someone who could use our help,” Galiena explains. “But his head is on fire.”

“And you left his head on fire?” Baldur asks.

“We tried to put it out,” Galiena explains. “It seems magical. There was also a magical rod.”

Baldur looks at Kavium who smiles back.

Galiena sees the back and forth and shakes her head, “No, the rod is stuck on his skull. He used to work for Razathorn – and then betrayed him – and went to Lord Brenmoon’s forces – and when they got here, her got killed – a rod shoved through his head – and turned undead.”

“Does this flaming skull have a name?” Baldur asks.

“Darko Wintersage,” Galiena replies. “What’s the story with your spirit friend?”

“Him?” Baldur looks, “Oh, right. He’s the husband of the dead woman spirit we found back at the fort – the one who needed her necklace.”

“Did you find the necklace?” Galiena asks.

Aros takes it out of his pocket and beams with pride.

“OK, good,” Galiena nods.

“We also got his ring,” Baldur then imitates Aros and shows the ring, beaming with pride.

“Wait, why did you steal a dead man’s ring?” Galiena asks.

“Well he couldn’t leave his house, turns out, removing his ring frees him of that bind, so he’s free to move about now,” Baldur explains.

“And that quake?” Galiena asks. “I heard you say it wasn’t your fault.”

“Oh, that – that’s their treant god thing,” Baldur thumbs towards Zedvar.

“Does this treant god have a name?” Galiena asks.

“Dalasmon,” Baldur recalls. “And he mentioned something about a woman gifting the town with this ‘treant god.'”

“A woman?” Galiena seems puzzled. “What do we know about this woman?”

“Zed, mind telling her what you told me earlier? I can’t remember her name,” Baldur admits.

Zedvar is silent for a moment before he adds, “I expected Krysinda to appear… to protect that which she’d awakened… she is the one who gifted us with Dalasmon… she said she could help protect the town… by summoning a powerful treant… but the treant would require sacrifices…”

“Krysinda,” Baldur repeats the name.

“Is she some kind of wizard?” Galiena asks.

“Yes, powerful,” Zedvar answers. “But she is different… I can sense it now… now that I am a spirit… the way the magic flows around me… there’s something very different to her magic… but… I am not educated in the ways of the arcane… only, that it … feels different… like warm mist on my spirit form…”

“Maybe your wizard friend might have information,” Aros suggests.

Baldur, Aros and Zedvar follow Kavium and Galiena back to the ruins of the home that they’d found Darko. As they enter, Darko’s muffled voice calls out, “Oh, I hear more footsteps. I assume that’s the friends of you and your boyfriend?”

“Did you finally confess your feelings to Kavium?” Baldur asks.

“No, the wizard doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Galiena snaps back.

Baldur shrieks, “Your head is on fire.”

“I am well aware of that,” Darko retorts.

“And there’s a physical rod in his head. I thought when you said you found a rod when you two were alone,” Baldur blushes.

Galiena shakes her head.

Baldur asks, “What’s your plan if we free you and help you?”

“Well, I’d like to be able to cast spells again,” Darko admits. “And this body – I can’t feel anything below my neck. Can’t wiggle my fingers. So that makes magical casting very, very difficult. So if I could… find another body…”

“Wait, you mean like possession?” Aros asks.

“Well, yes, I guess,” Darko admits. “But, I promise I wouldn’t try to possess any of you – because you’re all – eventually, I assume – going to be very helpful and free me of this rod in my skull.”

At the mention of possession, Baldur now seems to echo Kavium’s concerns that this Darko may not be someone that is to be trusted.

Galiena mentions, “Darko, you mentioned you had a wand. And you had it in your hands last you checked, before you died right?”

“Yes,” Darko mutters.

“What was your wand made out of?” Galiena asks.

“Wood,” Darko answers.

“Well, bad news I think,” she looks at all the dust on the floor, “it may have disintegrated.”

“It’s a magic wand! No way it should! No matter how long it’s been!” Darko remarks.

Baldur tries to lift Darko by the rod – but, just like Kavium – he’s not able to get it to budge.

Galiena is not surprised to see that Baldur can’t lift it. Baldur then gestures to the party that he wants to run the spear through the skull, and Aros shrugs unsure what he’s doing.

“We could make a friend out of him, since he knows about Razathorn and Lord Brenmoon,” Galiena whispers. “We could get information we need from him.”

“That’s a good point,” Baldur whispers, lowering his spear.

“What’s required for possession to happen,” Aros asks.

“Well if we can find someone – with hands and fingers – and a weak mind, I can transfer my spirit into them – and my mind would take over – it’d be like riding in a carriage. No harm to the body, but someone else is controlling the reigns,” Darko explains.

“Could you enter a weapon and be a magic weapon to travel the world?” Aros asks.

“I didn’t spend all of my life – before it was, mind you – tragically cut short, studying the arcane arts, to be shoved inside someone’s phallic long sword,” Darko growls, annoyed at such – in his mind – clearly a silly question.

“Well not all spells require the wiggling of fingers – some are component spells, couldn’t you cast those if we put the required item on your skull?” Baldur asks.

“Maybe you missed the part where my skull is on fire? It’d burn the components long before the spell probably completed,” Darko growls, wondering where Galiena had picked up these two, clearly ignorant of the arcane arts, “friends.”

“Ok,” Aros says, “another question. Do you know anything about the people from this village?”

“We came here to murder them,” Darko admits, “not my proudest moment – probably why I am lying here, face down – fate caught up with me and my poor choices – and, I know a lot of them died – others ran back to the giant tree on the far end of the street – and others fled into the woods – but a lot of them fled up the mountain towards the mines. Assuming – and based on how quiet it’s been here since I’ve been face down – Lord Brenmoon’s forces won the fight, which would have meant – sometime after I perished – they destroyed the entrances to the mines, probably trapping those poor souls there to starve… and probably, eventually turn to cannibalism, I’d wager… this cult was crazy…”

Zedvar makes a sound at the suggestion of being crazy.

“Oh, if they died, when you possess someone, can they be dead?” Aros asks.

“Lady, who are these friends of yours? Are they always this dumb? Listen, I am already dead. I’ve mentioned needing a live body already. Is that one a halfling? His voice sounds like a halfling. All high pitched. No wonder he’s not well versed in the arcane. They’re all just gardeners and thieves, that lot!”

“So what if you took me over?” Aros asks. “What’s the experience? Do we share everything or do you take over?”

“Oh, with possession – I’d take over. But you’d be there, fully aware of everything I was doing, it’s just my – clearly, by the way – stronger mind would remain in control. So you’d be there, like watching yourself do things! Incredible things, I might add,” Darko answers.

“Darko, you mentioned you know what this rod is?” Galiena says.

“Yes, an immovable rod – once triggered, it creates a massive weight that prevents it from being moved,” Darko explains. “There’s different kinds – ones that you can put in the air and it locks it’s space there – and others, that simply become extremely heavy – like the one shoved in my skull.”

“So I have another question about possession,” Aros pipes up. “If you were to leap into mine and we found another body. Could you jump out of mine and into theirs?”

“Yes,” Darko says. “Though I have never done possession, I’ve only heard and read about it while working for Razathorn. But it seemed possible. I am confident in that the answer is yes. I am pretty sure, it’s possible. Seems like it would be, anyway…”

“We could just leave the rod in him – and if he does something, hit the switch, and back down to the ground he goes,” Galiena says.

Everyone finally agrees – and they allow Darko to rise.

As he turns and floats up, he says, “Well, you’re not a very attractive lot.”

“You’re not exactly a catch yourself, flaming skull,” Galiena retorts, stomping her foot down.

After a moment, Darko says, “Wow! I am surprised I never heard them.”

“Them?” Aros looks around. “Them who?”

“All the spirits,” Darko replies, as if it were painfully obvious.

“Spirits? There’s only one,” and Aros gestures to Zedvar.

“No,” Darko says, his floating, flaming skull, shaking ‘no’ in midair. “There’s about forty of them. They’re just… meandering around… some seem to be doing, probably what they did in life. Interesting, that one over there just ‘knocked’ on a door that doesn’t even exist on that house anymore… and look, the spirit inside, made a gesture as if they were opening a door…”

It’s then – Aros suddenly feels cold and shivering – there’s even an ounce of fear, which is odd – since Haflings are generally immune to the influences of magical fear – but this, this feeling – it’s like the stories he’s heard about dragon fear – the arrival of a dragon emits such fear that people flee blindly… this wasn’t that bad… but there was something something that simply made Aros feel very, very, very uncomfortable.

At that moment, Darko says, “Oh. Look. Something has the spirits excited. They’re going in a circle and chanting… I’ve heard them chant … even when I was face down… but this is the first time… they’re in a circle, waving their hands… and speaking a language I don’t understand… and then… eventually comes the roar…”

Aros looks for Zedvar, and he can see Zedvar waving his hands at a massive tree trunk. Baldur tries to yell and get his attention, but Zedvar seems entranced. The party exits to see what’s going on – and discover their chanting awakened the treant – Dalasmon.

The party realizes that they hadn’t rested yet – and were wounded, cut up, bruised, and low on spell slots. “We need to get out of here,” Baldur growls.

“A retreat sounds like a good idea,” Aros agrees.

Galiena still screaming (Natural 1 on Initiative).

Kavium grabs her by the hand. “Let’s get out of here.”

Darko shakes his head, “Can you really not see the other spirits?”

“We have Zed’s wife’s necklace,” Aros says. “Let’s get this back to her. See if she has more information.”

As the party flees, Aros uses Darko’s flaming skull, to ignite some arrows that he shoots into the treant’s body.

“That’s a good idea,” Baldur agrees, and sees that Kavium is already pulling Galiena out of the town – and that’s when the roots throughout the city begin trying to attack – but the party manages to get out of the town, leaving the roaring treant behind them.

“We will need to come back,” Galiena wheezes, “we still need the iron from the mines.”

“That’s a problem for another day,” Baldur wheezes, using Lay On Hands on himself.

TO BE CONTINUED…