Within the Wicked Wilds/The Story So Far

This page is the campaign synopsis as told by the DMs, to read a more detailed, fun, and lengthy synopsis of the campaign, see Within the Wicked Wilds/Player Recaps

Chapter 1

Session 1a: Kickoff Megagame - A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Bog

Session Tags: Warden of the Wilds, Oblex

Characters: Tassa (First Session), Wiggler (First Session), Kamakuras (First Session), Cinder Ashtalon (First Session), Joylee (First Session)

DM: Dave (4/29/2023)

Important NPCs: Warden of the Wilds

XP Gained: 4300 (990 at Level 3, 861 at Level 4, 732 at Level 5)

Important Things that Happened:

• Players left base camp and set out into a swampy region west of the base camp. No known threats were identified so it was assumed that this excursion would most likely result in an uneventful stroll through the area.
• Adrian Tempest led the group into the swamp.
• The travel was uneventful until they saw a large 15' tall figure standing in an open swamp area.
• As three of the party approached to investigate, two were attacked by large green tentacle-like creatures. The whole group engaged and began fighting the "tentacles" back. A third "tentacle" appeared as one of the first two was cut away. As the second "tentacle" was cut down a massive "head" like structure appeared and engaged the party.
• It was about this time that a cloaked figure was seen observing the party while perched on top of a toppled tree 30 feet above the swamp.
• The figure did nothing but observe as the group fought bitterly to gain the upper hand against the creature(s).
• When victory was had and the battle finished, the group looked over to see the figure now standing on the far shore of the swamp. The figure raised their hands and magical fire ignited, lighting a path out and away from the swamp. The figure then disappeared.
• Three of the group followed the lights while three stayed behind to rest and recover from the fight.
• The lights led to a small round stone cottage that looked as though it had been around for decades. It was simple, sturdy and serviceable. Light and smoke from a fire escaped from the chimney and the windows. The first group approached and knocked. They were invited in to find the individual sitting, still hooded, in front of the lit fire.
• After pleasantries were shared the individual introduced themselves as a Warden of the Wilds. They were blessed of a nature deity that had tasked them with caring for the natural order of things in this wild place. The Warden had forsaken a life among the mortal races and embraced the task given to them by their god.
• Soon enough the other three of the party made their way to the cottage. The Warden then informed the group that what they had encountered was an Oblex. These creatures are ooze like but have a special affinity of feeding on creatures memories and, if given enough time, can consume enough of a creatures memories to develop a sort of mimic of that creature. The Oblex the group defeated was one that the Warden had been battling for some time. The first sightings of Oblex in the Wardens space was some 20 years prior.
• After discussion, the group took their leave of the Warden but asked how they could contact them if need be. Though the Warden did not have an answer they said they would give it some thought. Some days later, individually wrapped gifts arrived at base camp for the group the Warden met.

Session 1b: Kickoff Megagame - Ruins of Maddening Dreams

Session Tags: The Green Knight, Perseus Company, Gnolls

Characters: Lysvan (First Session), Obsidian (First Session), Amaris Luanach (First Session), Chrysaor Purosis (First Session), Deralickt Dadwarf (First Session)

DM: Keller (4/29/2023)

Important NPCs: Lucinda Grimfold, Lyowyn Mossbringer, Cookie, The Green Knight, Bulio

XP Gained: 4015 (803 at Level 4, 923 at Level 3)

Important Things that Happened:

• The players depart with fellow Tempest Brother Expeditionary employees to visit the basecamp of another expeditionary group, Perseus Company.
• The players soon discover a destroyed Perseus Company watchtower and deduce that the site was attack by Gnolls. They also discover a body in the tower seller full of mysterious black feathers which suddenly bursts into flames.
• When camping for the night the players on watch encounter some strange occurrences, such as the trees around them appearing to move, and strange entities watching them from beyond the tree line.
• The players arrive at the Perseus Basecamp to find it had been raided by Gnolls the day before. They discover that the camp was plagued with madness and find some of the bodies deceased due to strange unnatural causes.
• The players encounter Bulio who had concealed his cart and shop, "Bulio's Bobbles and Boons," under a large tarp. In exchange for informing Bulio of the location of the Tempest Brother's basecamp, he gifts the players with some magic items before taking his leave.
• Investigating the camp center inside a large temple, they discover survivors being held at the mercy of a band of Gnolls, all being overseen by a strange Green Knight
• The players defeat the Gnolls while the Green Knight is able to escape. The players also come into possession of the Zephyr Blade, the strange and magical weapon of Perseus Camp's now deceased leader

Session 1c: Kickoff Megagame - Spiders and Ichor and Ruins....oh my!

Session Tags: Paul Fletcher, Lolth, Spiders

Characters: Reedy (First Session), Therrin Flare (First Session), Sabbaticle (First Session), Paris Hilton (First Session), Sir Yewvane Eedryll (First Session)

DM: Julia (4/29/2023)

Important NPCs: Paul Fletcher

XP Gained: 4250 (Lvl 3- 978, Lvl 4- 850, Lvl 5- 723)

Important Things that Happened:

• Paul greets all the adventurers who arrived at basecamp, and acquires the team assigned to him to clear out the southern area of the wilds near camp and to explore some proposed ruins that were claimed to be there.
• Once there, they began clearing out the rooms. The first room was fairly empty, aside from a handful of normal wolf spiders. The second room was the main chamber of the temple, with a large statue of Lolth. The statue was dusty and run down, save for her outstretched palm, which was distinctly un-dusty. Paul informs them that typically sculptures like this has a gem or tribute in her hand.
• The hallways leading off of this room was covered in webs and a dark ichor. Magical sentinel goopey spider legs manifested from the ichor and hit the players if they ran past. After fighting through, they arrive to a small room, still with the ichor, and  a large nest. The party then fought the patriarch spider that resided there, the Haunter of the Night.
• After disposing of the spider, the party cut open the nest to find various dead bodies of adventurers past. The party also found a large deep red gem, which Paul took back and placed in the hand of Lolth, which causes a secret door to open, revealing a steep staircase going down. When the gem is removed, the door closes. The party took the gem, and left the temple otherwise alone.

Session 1d: Kickoff Megagame -

Session Tags:

Characters:

DM: Aaron (4/29/2023)

Important NPCs:

XP Gained:

Important Things that Happened: [TBD]

Session 2: Curious Company

Session Tags: The Collector, Jack of Hearts

Characters: Black Jack (First Session), Nester Spitemore (First Session), Kompi (First Session), Dragonett (First Session), Marion Ette (First Session), Juno (First Session), Dothand Raki (First Session),

DM: Keller (5/1/2023)

Important NPCs: Cookie, Velemar Decrye, The Collector, Jack of Hearts

XP Gained: 5040 (911 at Level 3, 792 at Level 4, 673 at Level 5)

Important Things that Happened:

• The Tempest Brother's Expeditionary Company is contacted by a powerful and mysterious aristocrat by the name of the Collector to recover a specific tome for him out in the wilds, a First Edition copy of A Cosmos Compendium: An Academic's Guide to Quelmar Starcharting. He meets with the players and provides them with a map and a key to the cavern where it is held.
• The players depart into the jungle and continue their trek into the night, where they spot a small campfire in the distance. While some players remaining in hiding, the rest of the party meet the charismatic Jack of Hearts and his band of adventurers. Jack of Hearts' crew included the individuals going by the names of Malakar, Theta, Yellana Eedryll, Titan, Tini, and Wren, along with two of the Pentulven Brothers.
• After the players leave, they discover that some of them were dosed with a sleeping poison and that Jack of Hearts had stolen the map and the key. Rushing to the cavern where the book is said to be, the player's find that Jack of Hearts and his team had already completed most of the dungeon themselves.
• The party pursues the thieves to the final room where the book is held and engage them in combat, only for the tome's guardian, a massive blue Behir by the name of Grimlight, to attack. The beast entered combat by consuming one of the Penulven Brothers and casting Greater Invisibility on themselves.
• The players came to a soft truce with Jack of Hearts and his team to defeat the Behir, and eventually came to the deal that the players could take the book as long as Jack of Hearts got to keep the treasure from the cave.
• On their way back to camp the player's discovered that the book had strange vertigo indusing effects before handing it over to the Collector. Before he left the Collector revealed that he had also been responsible for hiring Jack of Hearts to retrive the book.

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