The Keys of Telku / Witch War pt. 6 / Von the 7th through the 8th, 3593 CE / 12-27-20

The Adventurers have been tasked by the druids of Greenwood Forest with infiltrating Tanlin Marsh to gather information on the coven of witches who wage war with the elves with the help of dark fey creatures and a mysterious blight. In doing so, the Adventurers hope to end the conflict in Greenwood Forest which has sucked them in, delaying their return home to Liem. They have set out from the Glade of the High Druid with the Sonya Raskoven, a changeling druid and former member of the party who returned home to Greenwood to deal with the troubles. who is leading them towards Tanlin Marsh, a vast expanse of swampland the home of coven. After traveling all morning, the party comes across a field of flowers occupied by a strange creature, a winged bear named Maelarth. Interrupting the creature's romp through the flowers and determining that he is not a threat, the Adventurers learn that Maelarth has been sent to Greenwood by the Stag Lord, ruler of the Sunlight Court of the Eladrim. The eladrim, they recall, are the mysterious high elves who dwell in the fey dimension known as The Hedge. The Adventurers previously encountered eladrim when the Wild Hunt interrupted the end of their battle with the cold rider, Harakund. Maelarth tells the party that he has been sent by the Stag Lord solely for the purpose of observing the conflict in Greenwood and reporting back. He wishes the "witch war" would be over so he could return to the eternal summer fields of The Hedge. Using his skills as a barrister, Moss negotiates for Maelarth to accompany the party to Tanlin Marsh, and observe the conflict there, hoping that if the fey creature is spotted by the enemy, he will be drawn into the conflict as an ally through sheer self-preservation. Maelarth agrees, reluctant to leave his flowers, but hopeful that perhaps these Adventurers will speed up the end of the war. The big bear disappears into the trees, only detected that night as the party rests by the sound of his snoring. The next day the Adventurers reach a creek bed heading south in the direction of Tanlin Marsh. Sonya informs the group that though the creek is shallow at this spot, it will soon widen and deepen into a ravine. The party decides to take the high ground on the eastern side of the creek. As they travel on, they hear the sounds of battle up ahead, and hurry forward to find a battle between a party of elven warriors and satyrs covered with fungal blight, including the same one they observed spying on them after their battle with the redcaps. All but one of the elves have fallen, but Adrienne, Coron, and Sonya recognize the last remaining warrior. It is Florina, another former member of the party. As she furiously attempts to repel the blighted satyrs, the Adventurers leap into action, and the battle is joined, as the satyr begin to fall under the furious might of the Adventurers.