Play Session 4/4/22 - Markarth joins and the Worthingham Defenders Battle Chuth

The adventurers are in full-blown preparation mode for the eminent encounter with the dragon and green worm speaker. As they are heading to the field where Galin speaks with him, they encounter a gnome in the forest. They find out his name is Markarth, and he is currently given passage through the Misty Forest because he is fighting against wyrm speakers and dragons. This is good. The issue, though, is when Jilfaen realizes that Markarth's abilities are in the necromantic arts. This is anathema to her calling as a druid and she immediately sees him as an enemy. Thankfully she "only" throws up a wall of fire between Markarth and the party. Markarth looks at the group to see how they are going to handle this new tension. Jorn and others calm Jilfaen down from bloodshed by reminding her that there is a greater evil right now, and at least Markarth is an ally in that cause. Though she struggles with that concept, Markarth is allowed to participate in the upcoming battle with the dragon and wyrm speaker. In truth, Jorn is a little uncomfortable with the idea that an individual who will be traveling with them is comfortable with undeath. He too has antagonistic feelings but pushes them down because he knows that the mission comes before his differences in ideology with others. Markarth agrees not to raise any friends or allies as undead as a condition of staying with the group.   The party continues toward the clearing when they hear a cry for help in the forest. They go toward the cry and find a woman who is trapped by a tree that has fallen on her and trapped her underneath. They immediately go into "aid mode" and see a sight that they did not expect. The tree seems to come to life and stands up on its own power. Before the adventurers have a chance to react, the woman transforms into an older druid lady and tells the group that she'll provide them aid against the fearful presence of the dragon and the searching eyes of its minions. She produces magical flower garlands which she hands to each party member and immediately transforms into an owl and flies away taking the same path as the treant who turned to leave the group as soon as he realized the druid was safe.   The group finally makes its way to the clearing and surveys the location. Robin picks a copse of trees approximately one hundred feet from the impression in the ground where the group anticipates the dragon to arrive. With him are a dozen elves with bows. They hide in the foliage awaiting the arrival of the wyrm speaker and his companion. Jilfaen picks several in the group and casts water breathing on them so that if things go south, they can retreat (or hide) in a small pond in the clearing. Because of Jilfaen's success at convincing some elves to aid the group, a couple druids take their place on a rocky outcrop at the edge of the clearing. Jorn and Gojira pick a rock within 30' of the indentation in the ground where the dragon lands. Jorn reluctantly smears some mud on his armor to aid in hiding from the dragon's sight from the air. Onyx decides to hide in the pond since he can breathe underwater for the next twenty-four hours. Cava and Jilfaen decide to mount up on griffins and take to flight as soon as the battle begins. In the meantime, they hide in the brush just out of sight of the clearing along with a cadre of elven warriors who plan on fighting the dragon with bows.   All is set for the encounter. The air is still as if all the forest is waiting with baited breaths at what is about to take place. At once a hurricane-force wind shakes the nearby trees as a green dragon lands directly in front of Galin. He is being ridden by a masked individual in robes. The wyrm speaker and Galin speak for a moment when someone lets loose an arrow. The ambush is on! in a blur of activity, the whole forest erupts in a fight against the green dragon and wyrm speaker. More arrows pierce the dragon's hide. Gojira charges and attacks the dragon and is buffeted back by a wing attack after doing some damage. Jorn follows suit declaring the dragon his mortal enemy and unleashing a volley of strikes with his mace before too being pushed backward with a wing buffet. Cava and Jilfaen take to the air on griffins to attack from the skies. Cava successfully casts polymorph on the wyrm speaker turning him into a harmless giant tortoise. Jilfaen also attempts a spell against the green dragon while staying out of reach. Markarth attempts a harm spell with a range of touch against the foe. Finally gathering himself after the frenzy of attacks, the dragon kills Galin and about ten more elves with one powerful breath. It is tough to imagine many standing up to that poisonous cloud and living to tell the tale. However the number of assembled against the dragon proves to be his doom and after one more volley of attacks, the dragon perishes from his injuries. Surely this battle was made easier by the fact that the elves allied themselves to the Worthingham Defenders. Otherwise, the group might not have survived the battle unscathed.