SE04 : EP01 - Return to White Cliff

Mo'Bahn gathers a number of flyers from the local taverns. He walk around banging on doors to gather adventures for running these jobs. By the afternoon a collection of heroes have gathered to hear him out; Alistair , Pryce, Cassandra, Yith’Airézen’Eñahkais Æn’Pailynnoire'Horizon, and Leaf.   The make there way to the nearby village. They find it almost empty of people. A few goats wander around. Eventually closer to the center of town they find a handful of folks tending to small gardens in front of his house. Pryce talks to a man among them show explains that they had requested the escort job some seven weeks. He explains that they need an escort to take the town's best goats as tributes to insure a good harvests.   After more struggles to get a grip on the situation, they walk out of town with Bill 15 an immaculately groomed goat. They head south towards a large swamp. As they begin through it the poisonous environment assaults the senses, stinging the nostrils, and burning the lungs. Their pace is halved by torrid muck.   Above them Cass and Yith notice predatory cats stalking them in the tree branches. Pryce becomes spooked and thinks they hear the flapping of wings, a dragon? The continue on carefully.   After another couple of minutes of travel, a shadow crosses in front of their path. The air grows tense and the party stops moving. Above the cats scatter. Cass notices and then stares off toward the way forward, reading for combat. The group is shocked when a tree comes to life and hurls a rock their ways. Pryce is hit and knocked backward into water.   They fight the tree, trading blows as it attacks with mossy roots. It eventual gets pulled down to its side. The group piles on damage until the tree cracks and breaks. Pryce lays in the final blow sending the animated tree crashes permanently into the water and muck.   After a couple of hours the water lowers and the group becomes firmer. By evening they are fully out of the swamp arriving in tamer wetlands. Finding solid ground they make camp for the night. Leaf gathers small game, berries, and tree nuts for dinner. They then palaver. Leaf ask about returning to their forest. The group gently explains that there is No home but the City.   In the morning they roast nuts and make trail mix. Heading out they reach a thick and towering forest. Once deeply in they find a marker and a note in druidic. Leaf reads the message, then seeing the confusion of his party stops. Alister then links minds and explains that a Druid in this forest was using this task as a way to thin the human herd. A serious tone falls. After moment they begin to figure out what to do.   Many ideas are presented but none seem to take root. They turn back towards the town, taking a easier but longer road back. Along the way continuing the discussion.   Once they return the man they spoke to, Jacob greets them. They agree to have Leaf use his druid magic to help the farm land rather then have the town continue to pay tribute to this verdictive person of the woods.