SO FAR

The heroes have rendezvoused at the major port of the Noortjen Empire, Jun-Ree, and contracted passage to Akan aboard the vessel Kerriak with Captain Slovodon. He is a motley dressed pirate. Something off about him. He keeps a small menagerie. A phased dimensional being called the Mumphorgor: 7 feet tall, two sets of black eyes, white fur; ant-like mouth. To perform a heist stealing an artifact for Slovodon from the military fort of the Noortjens in Akana, he offers help from the Mumphorgor and one of the giant mantis's pulling his ship. Mumphorgor is telepathic and can barely interact with this dimension; at most pick up a small object or key. A mantis beast pulls their skiff to a hidden cliffside where they sneak up and climb the cliff using ancient columns carved into the tall cliff face. Some sneaking around the fort and hiding from guards reveals the object they have come for; a mysterious lantern and a scroll. Druid uses magic to warp the treasure chest and fog to hide their escape. They are paid in gems for this act. De-boarding at the city dock, they are forced to bribe an official. Slovodons info leads them to the underworld business center, a tavern called the Falcons Egg, as well as The Blue Eel, a brothel where they search for a prostitute named Butterscotch, who it is rumored has lived in the Lands. Eventually finding her in the pyramid temple, she is deranged, uttering strange things and crabwalking contortedly across the room. She wears a bone around her neckand has an unhealthy pallor. A visit follows to the local alchemist, Damiel, in his nearby tower. The tower sports a sign with an image of a young boy with lobster claws for hands. He tells heroes about corpse tree and magic arrowheads. He shows them a view of the Lands through his spyglass, which includes 500 foot tall toadstools, mountains, jungle, and the Uber Shambling Mound. Heroes stay the night in temple. *********************Session2*********************** Hoktar the soldier of fortune warrior joins the group at the Falcons Egg. He is from a foreign land and wears fur and partial metal plate armour. He has minions : vagabond(Mardrich), brigand(Jones), and bandit(Coco). Poking around by the city wall and massive gate, they ascertain a way out into the Lands by speaking to a friendly shopkeeper of an establishment called the Three Staffs. They give him 3 gold and he tells them about the smugglers entrance. Druid acquires a cheap ceremonial dagger. A large gem with a dark thorn inside it on its scabbard. Likely the thorn can be used to track them. They locate the smugglers burrow under the north wall, and a minion lights a fire nearby to create a distraction. They travel through the rocky tunnel/crevice, hearing strange animal sounds and dripping water. Likely a chemical or poison has been laced through the tunnel and they all touch it. They arrive at the no-mans-land between the city wall and the ancient broken wall. Regularly spaced warning plinths carved with skulls dot the area. They warily approach the corpse tree and identify the body they need to retrieve. The tree is most strange and unsettling. Small mounds of dirt around the tree indicate bandit tunnels. Through a series of missile shots and a bolo throw, they cut it loose to fall to the ground. Three bandits appear, firing with crossbows. Hoktar smashes one spectacularly (20) with a swing of his war club. The tree sprays spores which stun them and has snaky limbs but they snag the body with a rope and grappling hook, bundle the decaying pieces into a cloak, and make off with it. Druids entangle spell immobilizes the two remaining bandits temporarily with scrub grass around their ankles...