DRAMATIS PERSONAE:
Skeef Hawkridge (Half Elf Druid 7 / Thief 7)
Goro (Half Orc Cleric 7 / Fighter 6)
Solcha (Elf Fighter 5 / Magic User 7)
Chanee (Human Paladin 5)
[Baqua Irontoes (Halfling Fighter 4 / Thief 5)]
Wealsun 28 (morning) to Richfest 1 (mid-day)
Following the trees' directions, the party hops aboard the carpet of flying (and Skeef turns into his usual giant eagle) and flys a search pattern over the forest heading south-west. But the thick canopy of the ancient wood stymies their search. Nightfall finds them setting up camp just inside the forest under a bluff next to a stream; they'd discovered the trees would move around impassible obstacles so this would be a safe place to rest. Except for the band of trolls that emerg out of the deepening twilight. These tear viciously into the party, bring Chanee to near death and batters the rest of the party badly. Three of the trolls are slain, and two succumb to fear and flee into the night. The party is just cleaning their blades and burning bits of troll when someone else emerges from the darkness; a trio of humans dressed in clothing of woodland hues. They cautiously introduce themselves as Rhune, his sister Tanree and cousin Kinren, saying they are travelers who got trapped when the wood moved over them. They probe the party as to their intentions and question them about their fight with the trolls. When they seem satisfied, the three alter themselves into the form of shortish-giants, and bade the party follow them to the rest of their clan. There the clan leader Duncan can answer their questions.
The party agrees, and follows the trio through the still moving trees to a temporary camping site on the verge of a small lake. There Chanee receives aid for his hurts, and the rest of the party gets the story of the moving wood. The giants have lived peacefully in Buran Wood for years uncounted, sharing it with the treants who also live here. But about a week go, a ravanging band of trolls, lead by a viciously cunning shaman named Eydral, appeared suddenly in the wood. The giants fought them, but were getting overwhelmed by the regenerating trolls. And so turned to fire; which immediately brought out the wrath of the treants and their queen Willowrose. Fire being anathema to these guardians of the wood, she decided the best thing to do is move the wood. And so Buran Wood became mobile. But the trolls are still there, and the giants are still fighting them, though they are now much depleted in numbers.
The party convinces Duncan to lead them to Willowrose so they can mend the rift between the two and allow all to turn their attention on the trolls. He agrees, and next morning leads the party through the shambling trees to a clearing near the centre of the wood. There they find the slim Willowrose, who looks like a cross between a willow tree and and dryad, with her court. First thing the party does is inform her the wood is about to overrun the human village of Dunsinane; Willowrose immediately halts the moving trees. They then convince the treats to join with the party and the giants to fight the trolls. Willowrose however is adamant that use of fire must be very strictly controlled; no combat using fire inside the wood and any other use very carefully controlled. Both the party and the giants agree, and start to plan how to best deal with the trolls. Willowrose tells them her trees say the trolls have left the cave where they've been holed up for the last few days; the movement of the trees has now left them outside the forest canopy. The foul beasts are heading north east through the woods, moving in hunting bands towards some unknown destination. Although there is a roadside inn that has just been brought inside the verges of the forest ...
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