Understanding the threat the newly discovered Blight would have on our town, Sir Calen put out a reward to any who could find its origin. Answering this call were 5 of our stalwart explorers who marched out into increasing treacherous swamps north of Lake Stirge, battling the vile creatures as they went. This excursion was chronicled in great detail by Lord Dieterich, Scorros Illitor, and Breknar Swampshield and the following is a composite based on their writings:
A group of us (consisting of myself, Scorros, Breknar, Kellen, and Tyrdithas) decided to take action against the blight that has permeated the forests north of Lake Stirge. Not far north of the, the forest became a blasted wasteland, overrun with blight and stirge. We saw no other living creatures; only piles of skeletons consisting of various creatures remained among the dying trees.
Quickly, we found ourselves surrounded by a thick fog. We formed a defensive formation and slowly made our way through the woods. Lord Dieterich decided to take point as he has proven his capability at surviving dangerous situations. We relied on Scorros's expertise on the blight matter to guide us towards the source but as we marched forward we were attacked from beyond the fog by what was clearly Blight, though stirge were also present. Given the thick fog and tendency of Twig Blights to appear as bushes the entire area was very disorienting. Many of us became paranoid, sometimes carrying torches and swinging our weapons into brush with uncertainty, though Lord Dieterich showed great valor by promptly rushing into the fray to engage our foes head on and gain a better understanding of our surroundings.
As we pushed further north, thorns and brush formed an ever-tighter path to a single destination: an Elder Tree, impaled by a blighted spear... the nefarious actions of a deceased wizard or other practitioner of sinister magic, perhaps? The tree was suffering greatly, used as a conduit to spread the blight through dark, twisted roots and vines like veins. While some wanted to burn the tree down and eliminate the threat, the decision was made by those with the greatest understanding of the situation who determined that as green leaves remained, and the Elder Tree might still be saved if the blight can be cured.
Behind this apocalyptic setting of the blighted elder tree we spotted an overgrown tower. As we approached it we noticed that there were large vines that seemed to be alive... in a more physical sense than any plant ought to have any right being. The vines thrashed out at any who came too close. We concluded that whoever thrust the spear through the Elder Tree must use it as his fortress and resolved to find and destroy them. The tower appeared to be old and inhabited. The surroundings were grossly overgrown and hadn't been taken care of for a long time-or perhaps the blight took over and things grew particularly fast.
The tower grounds were full of blights and stirge and, being exhausted after our fight through the wasteland, we were soon divided and overwhelmed. We decided to withdraw and regroup, covering eachother as we exited the ruins. Before we left we gained valuable intel, we saw a great, pulsing root on the east side of the tower, likely a major artery between the thrashing vines and the elder tree. Destroying it could be devastating to the blight, but it would take time and adequate tools to cut, burn or saw through. It should also be noted that a thick mist in the region allowed our group to become separated frequently. This created life-threatening situations that should be avoided in the future through careful planning and coordination, and perhaps deliberate training.
Lord Dieterich, Gunter
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Illitor, Scorros
Stoneleaf, Kellen
Swampshield, Breknar
Tyrdithas
Other News: Wolf attacks have stopped and they are only occasionally seen now. As funding for a lumber yard reaches nearly half the needed amount the Waymark Charter Company has started scouting locations for the yard, though they've had some harassment by traps in the woods. Luckily only minor injuries so far. Our next shipment of goods will be arriving within the next few days so keep an ear out for Dax, he'll announce its arrival.
Other News: Wolf attacks have stopped and they are only occasionally seen now. As funding for a lumber yard reaches nearly half the needed amount the Waymark Charter Company has started scouting locations for the yard, though they've had some harassment by traps in the woods. Luckily only minor injuries so far. Our next shipment of goods will be arriving within the next few days so keep an ear out for Dax, he'll announce its arrival.
Lord F. Arden, on behalf of Sir Calen
5/26 in the Year 874
5/26 in the Year 874
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