An End to Blight - Expedition Summary 5/29

Lord Gunter Dieterich has successfully led a mission to the northern forest in order to eliminate the source of the blight! Working hand-in-hand with the industrious citizens of Longreach, our noble warriors equipped themselves with axes, saws, and fire arrows before they returned to the blighted tower north of Lake Stirge. There they cut their way back to the great root they had encountered on the expedition of 5/25 where they fought against a vicious onslaught of every kind of Blight and a swarm of stirge. While fending off the assault, we discovered that the great root did not reach to the Elder Tree, as previously imagined, but into a vile pool of blood and water that fed the great evil plant.

The rest of this summary is lifted directly from the words of Scorros Illitor, who tracked down the Blight to its lair:

Once we had defeated the monsters, we set to hacking apart the root. It gave way easily, with an almost fleshy softness beneath our axes, but once we cut through it immediately began to regrow and reconnect. Even burning the ends could not stop it. However, the energy it put into this combined with the lack of nourishment seemed to weaken it elsewhere, and heavy roots that had blocked the tower's entrances retracted. We entered the tower before the blight—apparently a single creature covering the entire building—could recover.

Inside, we discovered yet more bloody pools feeding the abomination's roots. How the blight were able to amass such a wealth of blood, I do not know. I am inclined to believe that a third party had supplied it.

It is worth noting that a mosaic showing a beautiful countryside adorned the tower's overgrown walls. A great civilization had once thrived here and celebrated its land.

We hacked our way to the top of the tower, fighting for every yard against both independent blights and vines from the giant. Among the crenellations were enormous flowers and vines seemingly straining to crack the stone. And there, in the center, lay a skeleton which no part of the monstrosity approached, with a pair of glimmering, perfectly intact gloves.

As we assessed the situation, three enormous vines and a single colossal flower more than eight feet thick shot up around us. The flower showered us with poisonous needles, while the vines batted us about, threatening to crush or to fling to the distant earth. But the entire party fought with great valor and was assisted by the enchanted corpse that the thing could not approach, and the abomination was hacked to pieces.

With the flower dead, the surviving parts set to tearing the tower down on our heads. I attempted to recover the corpse for decent burial, but it disintegrated in my arms, and we were forced to take the magic gloves and leave the bones.

The gloves were only able to ward off some of the blight's attacks. Poison was poured in our path, vines whipped and snagged and hurled stones at us, but eventually, we escaped. Only moments after the last of us exited the building, the blight pulled the tower down upon itself.

With our foes crushed, we at last returned to the elder tree. There the party honored my request to be the one to remove the malignant spear. The weapon grew thorns to impale my hands, but the gloves suppressed them and granted me a safe grip. I hauled it out, foot by foot as if dragging it free of sucking mud.

As soon as the spear was removed, it disintegrated. From the ashes emerged three evil-looking shadows, which immediately scattered and fled northward.

The horrible growths that had afflicted the elder tree died. When I spoke to the great tree, it met me with a blue glow, showing the life that still survived inside it.

The forest will recover.

I am left wondering whether the dead person was a hero who tried to stop the blight single-handedly, or the villain who planted it here, attempting to control it with nothing but the magic gloves. Regardless, I will use his or her artifacts only to protect the forest and the innocent from further attacks by blight.

I once again must commend everyone who participated in this endeavor. Not once did anyone shrink from the duty we were faced with, and all left numerous blights behind as lifeless heaps. Especially worthy of mention were Lord Dieterich, who fought on despite many wounds and repeated poisoning, and Breknar Swampshield, who again and again put his shield between his foes and his friends even when it meant he would be wounded.

Members of the 5/29 Expedition:

Lord Dieterich, Gunter
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Illitor, Scorros

Jones, Vincent

Stoneleaf, Kellen

Swampshield, Breknar

Tyrdithas

Other News: Construction of the lumber yard is nearing completion, invigorated by the elimination of the blight that once threatened the endeavor. Materials to begin work on a general store are also on the way, which will greatly aid our day-to day life.

Lord F. Arden, on behalf of Sir Calen
5/30 in the Year 874