Dragon of Icespire Peak

Having killed the Mimic, the group celebrates with a few gnomes in the kitchen with a warm loaf of green mushroom bread, and a thick glass of mushroom wine.  They're given accommodations and spend the night.

The following day, they're led to the kings chamber by Stibblestab, but the kings don't answer.  Romal suggests that Stib gets them someone who can remove the door.  Aden wants to axe his way through.  The group try to communicate, but the king doesn't answer.  After more talking, they hear one come closer.  He says he wants proof it is dead.  Aden and Seala go back and get the rubbery corpse, and put a small part in, when the king opens a small hatch in the door.  They hear conversing on the other side, and soon the kings agree to open the door.  They discuss, and the kings are overjoyed the mimic is gone.  The group is rewarded with a 'Hat of Wizarding' and a 'Wand of Pyrotechnics'.  They group thanks the gnomes, and depart for home.  

They arrive later in the day, and find the city leader.  He pays them, and they split the gold.  He buys the hat, and Aden gets the wand.  The read the job board, and pick a mission for Falcon's Hunting Lodge to preemptively attack the Forrest Manse.  They spend the night at the Inn.

The next day, they go to the city leader and he says that the Coghouse might have directions to Falcon's Lodge.  They talk to her and Seala threatens her.  It's sorta weird.  But eventually the team buys some rations and gear, Aden loads up on torches and some oil vials.  Seala buys a large knife.  Eventually Romel gets farmer directions that they should head down the Triboar trail and at the third burned down stump from last year, turn due north until you get to the river.  They depart, and camp about 24 miles down the road, off the trail from the stump.  They set a guard order, eat, and then camp.

After awaking the next day, they head north, and reach the river midday.  The forest is thick, and they pass several elven ruins.  They see Falcon's lodge, it's a palisade wall, with 2 small side buildings built agains the wall, and a pair of towers connected by a third house on the other wall.  There is a pen and a stables as well.  It is on the other side of the river from them, but there is a new well built stone bridge across the thirty foot wide river.  There is a bell, and they ring it.  An old man lets them in and shows they around, he says he is Corwin the cook, and that Falcon is out.  He said there is a mute stable boy as well.  He offers them food and accommodations for free in the guest house, the north building along the wall, the south is the smithy.  Late in the day Falcon arrives from a hunt with a boar.  He explains a bit about the orcs, the spell caster, and some half orcs that have taken up at the old elven scholar's house. He says there are a lot of them and more every day.  Judging by the orc heads on the palisade walls, it seems true.  The group spends the night and heads off the next day.  

Falcon leads them partway there, and then turns north to hunt orcs. They continue east until they get to a clearing.  This manse is about 10 miles east of the Lodge.  It is large, run down and apparently deserted except the well used front door.  It is covered in vines and surrounded by a light fog (even though it is mid day and otherwise sunny), and rings of rotted pumpkin patches.  Boars are rooting around in the patches, they look normal but the patches look rotted even though its mid summer.  The group sets up a watch and observe all day, they see 2 orcs depart on a patrol.  Late in the day, 3 other orcs return from another patrol.  The group make a cold camp tonight and plan their next move.  During the night the groups sees a pair of orcs leave and head due west, with what sounds like a pack of weird walking sticks. 

The next day, they again watch the patrols change, and around dusk, they insert to the manse through a broken section of the wall, before the second patrol returns.  They enter in what looks like an abandoned and rotten kitchen.  There is one door, partly closed, and it sounds like at least one orc is beyond, though there are more inside.  Their best estimate is that 8 are in the house. Through an open arrow slit (the house has arrow slits for windows) they launch some pyrotechnics, and lure some orcs outside.  They move into the room next to the kitchen, it appears to be a dining hall, after the orc within had moved out.  They see 4 orcs piled up waiting to rush out the front door, some others must have gone out to scout, and these 4 remained. The group has surprise and attack; Romel sleeps one, Aden and Seala jack the other up.  The remaining two attack Seala and Aden back, badly wounding them.  Seala turns to her flaming sword, and smokes one, Romel sleeps the other.  Then a group of four stick things attack them, the group takes a little damage but finish them off. They bar the door, and move through a hole in the south wall to what sounds like the only remaining voice.  Aden is first through, and he sees more stick things, 2 peel off to attack him, the other 2 more to Romel. Romel and Seala fight two, and Aden finish off the other two.  By now Seala is out of 2nd level, and Romel is largely out.  They've used some healing, and are a little beat up.  But they push on.

Romel looks ahead and stealthily peers around a corner, seeing a half orc doing a ritual in a pentagram lit by candles. The really awful part is the tree in the courtyard he is smells like death, and as he walks on the vines in the courtyard they break and bleed red blood.  Something clearly isn't right. Again the group has the upper hand, and rush the room. Aden attacks with Axes, Seala with her flaming sword, and Romel now with his staff.  Then on initiative they all beat the half orc and get another round of attacks. The half orc feels pretty tough, cuz he's still standing, so starts casting, but everyone opportunity attacks and drop him before the spell completes.  The group then start attacking the tree and try to damage it, but they leave as the orcs starting breaking down the door.  They slip out, as chaos is breaking out.  

They sneak off into the woods, and hear a whisper, it's Falcon.  He says he killed the two that had gone west, and they said an attack was coming; so he investigated and that's why he's here.  They move back and he hides their trail, they camp the night with watches.

In the morning, they return to the manse, but find a small running battle has taken place between the orcs who were wiped out, and the half orcs who appear to be able to shapeshifter into boars.  At least one half orc is dead, but otherwise they left after wiping out the orcs, at least six orcs died.  They search the house, find some items and a limited amount of treasure, and Falcon awards them the boots of elvenkind he promised.  They return to his lodge and spend the night in the nice house, no charge, and Corwin has prepared a midsummer feast.  They eat, and then sleep the night.  They awake to having gained a level.

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