Prior to leaving for the whistwood forest.
Braghi obtained a hammer to allow him to become incorporeal. The hammer is emblazoned with Hello Kitty and Rainbow Dash.
A protrait of Braghi has been made in Northgate in exchange for items that Braghi received.
The party resumes it’s search for the missing herbalist merchant in the whistwood forest.
It is late in the night. The party enters the staircase leading down into a cavern. Ember uses a rope to ensure that she doesn’t get lost in the cavern. Six archways glow faintly blue leading to an area of warm lush vegetation. Richard leads the party through the archways. The area seems to have a blueish daylight lighting. The air is warm and humid. Taco, the elven alchemist, climbs a palm tree in an attempt to gather palms. Before he can make it up the tree he observes a sunken area with skeletons. Taco jumps down to investigate the remains. He takes some semi precious stones. Richard, the human cultist, walks over to Taco and seeing the pit of bones, tells the party that we no longer need to be here.
The party makes camp for the night in the forest.
The next morning is cool and cloudy.
The party continues to look for the missing herbalist merchant.
Maleah is the party through the forest, using his refined wilderness lore skills. Taco locate some poisonous (choking spore) mushrooms.
Richard finds a ancient tree. On one of its huge tree sized branches, there is an area that clearly had a rope with a significant weight on it. In a nearby area where like tracks are found.
The party starts to track the bear, but breaks for camp at night. The party plans to have two people on each watch in the night. During the first watch, a mist rolls in from the north. During the second watch a dire rat attacks in an attempt to drag Braghi off while he sleeps. The dire rat is slain.
The next morning is cooler.
Continuing to follow the bear tracks, the party comes to a fork occupied by bear folk. The fort is decorated by scorn parts.
From a distance, the party appears to observe the bear folk tame a humanoid creature to a monolith in the center of the fort and killing it.
The party breaks into groups with a plan to talk to the bear folk to gather information about the missing herbalist. Taco and Maleth build a tree blind to provide ranged attack if things go poorly. Amber uses the Whisp Unseen gem to become invisible and sneak into the fort. Braghi and Richard walk to the fort with the intent of talking to the inhabitants, and finding out what happened to the herbalist.
Upon reaching the gates of the fort, Braghi and Richard are met by a bugbear wearing a breast plate. The bugbear calls for others to come. Two additional bugbear guards arrive. Brahgi communicates with the bugbear. The bug bear leads them into the fort.
They are they had passed the monolith where they can see that the humanoid, still tied to the monolith, was actually a scorn. The duo are led to a pavilion tent to meet the bugbear queen. Speaking in broken common, the bugbear queen asks why do I have come to their fort.
Brahgi manages to communicate with the queen to inspect the bug bear collection of treasures to see if any had belonged to the herbalist. The queen stands up from her throne. She towers 10 foot tall and goes to the rear of the tent to retrieve a large chest of items they have collected.
A signet ring and a dog collar with many germs attached is found. The queen sends for one of the other bugbears to return to discuss information regarding the signet ring. Brahgi trade some lodestones for the signet ring. He negotiates that the party is going to hunt the scorn in exchange for the dog collar.
Another bug bear comes into the tent, and explains that the herbalist had been brought to the fort, but was not diplomatic. The herbalist was stripped of some possessions and sent away. The bugbears directs the party, as to what direction the herbalist left.