Corrupted Redwood Grove

Start-class article · First seen: s2 · Last seen: s3
Corrupted Redwood Grove
the corrupted forest · the redwoods · the Grove
Portrait of Corrupted Redwood Grove.
Location
StatusActive
First seens2
Last seens3

The Corrupted Redwood Grove is the poisoned forest east of Wyrmbough Grove that the party worked through in sessions 2 and 3: six redwoods whose bark they sampled, a poisoned stream, a burnt bandit camp and, at its centre, the one clean patch, the burial mound of 34 elves who fell fighting the dragon Death-at-Sunset [6][1][23]. Zombie bandits, a dryad, a giant centipede and mud mosquitoes were killed there, and across the stream lies Sunset is Nigh’s Lair [30][26]. Once the egg had absorbed the dragon hoard’s essence, the grove began to recover [5].

Overview

The Corrupted Redwood Grove is a stretch of poisoned forest east of Wyrmbough Grove, rotted by the lingering poison of Death-at-Sunset. The party took six bark samples from its redwoods in session 2, killing zombie bandits, a dryad, a giant centipede and three mud mosquitoes on the way, and crossed its poisoned stream in session 3 to reach Sunset is Nigh’s Lair [6][7][8].

Geography and appearance

Six corrupted redwoods stand among sickly flowers [6][9]. Their bark oozes corrupted sap, and the pustules on it burst: one splashed Vasquez for 3 necrotic damage [10][11]. A poisoned stream runs through the grove and is full of leeches, which clung to Cholmondeley when he fell in [12][8]. The last, pale redwood stands in a muddy bog that is polluting the stream [13]. Round a burnt-out campfire lay the bandits who had drunk from the stream; fresh footprints that matched none of their boots, and large canine paw prints, circled the camp [14][15].

At the centre rises a wide, gently sloped dirt mound, roughly 30 feet high, enveloped in feathery grass with sickly yellow flowers at its edges, and not corrupted [1]. It is the burial mound of 34 elves and their leader Edvan (see Notable features). After the egg drew the essence from the dragon’s hoard, the grove “breathes again”: the oppressive heat lifted, the sap no longer bled black and a bird dared to call [5].

Inhabitants

  • Zombie bandits, a dryad, a giant centipede with an insect swarm and three mud mosquitoes, all killed in session 2 [16][17][18][19].
  • Edvan’s echo, a ghostly warrior on the mound at night, seen replaying his last blow on a loop [20].

Notable features

  • The six redwoods. The party took a bark sample from each, for Gwen Homora’s poison-resistance potions [6][7][21].
  • The burnt bandit camp. The three dead men’s sacks held 11 gp, 240 sp, 400 cp, crossbows, scimitars, a healer’s kit, a hooded lantern, two flasks of oil and a shovel [14][22].
  • Edvan’s burial mound. Gwen Homora told the party that 34 elves “gave up their lives, battling the ancient green dragon”, and that Edvan struck the final blow with his long sword [23]. Standing in the circle put Caelumn into a dream of the battle and of the dragon’s corpse in a cave across the stream [24]. Harvo’s Detect Magic found nature magic within the circle [25].
  • The cave across the stream. The way into Sunset is Nigh’s Lair [26].

History in the campaign

Session 2: The Bark, the Dryad, and the Riddle that Wasn’t a Tree

Main article: Session 2

Half an hour’s walk from the tree line, the party began taking bark samples from six redwoods for Gwen Homora [6][27]. Dead bandits round a burnt camp rose as zombies and were cut down [16], and a Medicine check showed that the stream had poisoned them [14]. At the fourth tree a dryad pinned four of the party with vines and set a riddle whose answer was “bark”; the party said “tree” [28]. It fought until Hugo beat it to death from behind with his hand axes [17]. A giant centipede with a swarm, then three mud mosquitoes in the bog, guarded the last two trees [29].

Session 3: The Lair of Sunset is Nigh and the Death of Cholmondeley

Main article: Session 3

Gwen Homora named the untouched mound as the burial place of 34 elves who died with Edvan fighting Death-at-Sunset [23]. Caelumn stepped into its circle and dreamt of the elves choking on the dragon’s poison in her tunnels [24]. The party crossed the stream, where Cholmondeley fell in and came up with leeches on his face [8], and went on to the lair. When they came out with the hoard’s essence drawn into the egg, the grove “breathes again” [5]. At dusk Harvo walked back to the mound and saw Edvan’s echo, with its empty scabbard, on its loop [20].

Status

As of session 23. The worst of the corruption lifted at the end of session 3 [5]. The party has not returned, and Edvan’s burial mound still stands at the centre.

See also

References

  1. ^ Session 2, line 1044: Central dirt mound is untouched by corruption.
  2. ^ Session 2, line 1168-1276: Dryad's riddle; combat.
  3. ^ Session 3, line 176-178: Burial mound contains 34 elves and their leader Edvan.
  4. ^ Session 3, line 296-312: Caelumn's vision on the burial mound shows Death-at-Sunset's tunnel-suffocation of the elves.
  5. ^ Session 3, line 1928: Corruption recedes after the egg absorbs the hoard's essence.
  6. ^ Session 2, line 322: Inline citation.
  7. ^ Session 2, line 2536: Inline citation.
  8. ^ Session 3, line 390-400: Inline citation.
  9. ^ Session 2, line 374: Inline citation.
  10. ^ Session 2, line 1024: Inline citation.
  11. ^ Session 2, line 1058: Inline citation.
  12. ^ Session 2, line 1106: Inline citation.
  13. ^ Session 2, line 2306: Inline citation.
  14. ^ Session 2, line 932: Inline citation.
  15. ^ Session 2, line 962-982: Inline citation.
  16. ^ Session 2, line 464-906: Inline citation.
  17. ^ Session 2, line 1740-1754: Inline citation.
  18. ^ Session 2, line 2128-2270: Inline citation.
  19. ^ Session 2, line 2454-2502: Inline citation.
  20. ^ Session 3, line 2126-2146: Inline citation.
  21. ^ Session 2, line 2700-2706: Inline citation.
  22. ^ Session 2, line 956: Inline citation.
  23. ^ Session 3, line 176: Inline citation.
  24. ^ Session 3, line 294-298: Inline citation.
  25. ^ Session 2, line 2640-2642: Inline citation.
  26. ^ Session 3, line 298: Inline citation.
  27. ^ Session 2, line 330: Inline citation.
  28. ^ Session 2, line 1168-1250: Inline citation.
  29. ^ Session 2, line 2128-2536: Inline citation.
  30. ^ Session 2, line 464-2502: Inline citation.