Session LXII: Gnarly and the Three Bears

A note from the Warlock
Obviously haven't posted much for quite some time.  I've been much more busy than usual and will probably continue to be for the foreseeable future.  I've been looking to carve some time out of my week to catch up on all the session posts that I've taken notes on.  We've had some really good sessions and things have been really fun at the table and I want all you readers to catch up as well.  So here's the first of a number of recaps that I'll be posting in short order. 

Current Player Characters:

Gnarly Blunderbrush (Druid)

Edan (Atlantean)

Maximus (Magic-user)

Su (Cleric)

Thenus (Ranger)

Tibag (Ranger)

Read the session background that the players received for more details

In Fisherville, the storms have gotten worse, a heaviness hung over the town, less and less people were seen each day and the adventurers had dreams of dark death.

With the tavern of the Bearded Clam deserted, the party stepped out into Fishersville and discovered that the town was empty as well.  The only person found was a cleric named Su coming into town.

As the party explored the town looking for any inhabitants they found mutilated horses, their flesh being eaten by black shaped Soul Eaters. With the Soul Eaters in pursuit of a new meal and coming out of every corner of the town, the party high-tailed it back to the Beadred Clam and barricaded themselves inside. 

Thovin, Gnarly and Su headed upstairs and tried to attack with fire from above but ended up setting the Inn on fire.  Gnarly called forth a swarm of insects which frightened the Soul Eaters and, as an eagle, guided the swarm out into Lake Blackmoor forcing the Soul Eaters to drown.

With the Inn on fire, the party thought it best to head out and seek out the Witch of the Woods.  In the forest Brushwood they came across Thorngrove, the home of Lillian, the druid of the forest.

Lillian of Thorngrove

It is here that the party learned of the ruined temple and how it once belonged to the Cader'ian an ancient race of druids who created the Earth Stone to bring prosperity to the land but who also began studying arcane magic to fight the demon Xuthal.  The two forces were ever at war and the Cader'ian used the Earth Stone to help imprison Xuthal but in doing so trapped their spirits within the Earth Stone which Xuthal held in his possession. When the party rescued the Earth Stone and fought the Headless Hounds and all died, the Cader'ian and the power of the Earth Stone altered time until a timeline was discovered where the party was victorious.  In doing so, the Earth Stone set in motion the ways in which Xuthal's prison was compromised and a dark reign began to spread across the earth.  Only by facing the Headless Hounds again and righting the time-line would Xuthal influence be stopped - but they may have to face Xuthal as well.  (note: all this came about because I had stacked the encounter too much against the party without any way out or warning all of which you can read about here.)

After a night in which Gnarly, as a bear, mated with Lillian, who also transformed into a bear (and joined by a third) the party was given horses and a wand with which to call forth the Headless Hounds once again.  Leaving the little girl Jute with Lillian, they headed back into Brushwood and to the Ruined Abbey meeting minor resistance from some Gnolls along the way.

The Earth Stone