The Lost Caravan

The adventure began at the Oak and Spear inn in Highmoon, where the priestess Tarasynora Ianwynn sought aid. She revealed a prophetic vision of a caravan moving through the forest with elven kin in chains, pleading for help. She offered a reward of 500 gold per person for the rescue of these wayward souls. Guided by their superior tracking skills, the party moved east and located wagon tracks diverting into the forest.

Ambush and the Wildling

While tracking the caravan, the group was ambushed by orcs. During the skirmish, they encountered Aka, a wild elf raised by goblins, who had been traveling with the human caravan before it was attacked. The party successfully subdued the orcs and interrogated them, learning they had been ordered by a shaman to capture elves and bring them to a cave deeper in the forest.

The Caravan Massacre and Rafius

Continuing their search, the party discovered the site of a massacre: splintered wagons, dead horses, and the corpses of Zhentarim slavers and orcs. They found three giants scavenging the ruins. A battle ensued, but the group eventually parlayed with a giant named Rafius after disabling him. Rafius explained that he and his kin were merely scrounging and had not participated in the massacre. He agreed to lead the party to the orcs’ cave—a place where people were taken to die in foul rituals—in exchange for safe passage to town afterward.

While investigating the remaining wagons, the group rescued two more captives: D’zicrah, a half-orog smith, and Taldima Waverider, a mermaid.

The Nightmare Spell

During a rest at the caravan site, a powerful magical sleep overcame most of the party. Several members, including Desna and Astasel, experienced vivid nightmares of the Zhentarim burning the forest. Investigation revealed that the magic might have been anchored to Zhentarim signets and iconography found in the wreckage, likely used for distant scrying by a skilled mage.

The Temple of the One-Eye

The party reached a cave marked with a massive eye, identifying it as a shrine to Gruumsh. Inside, they witnessed an orc chief performing a ritual involving a pentagram of blood and several elven captives. As the party stormed the cave, the chief sacrificed his own warriors to transform into a massive, one-eyed vessel of dark energy.

The battle was costly:

• Ratha was killed by the chief’s wicked energies.
• Two Drow captives and a Tiefling died from ritual wounds.
• The party saved a silver-haired elf named Isabella Hawklight and a Drow infant.

The survivors returned to the outskirts of Highmoon, where Tarasynora and a half-elf priestess named Thau’lira were waiting. Through powerful divine rites, they were able to raise Ratha and the fallen drow captives from the dead. The party recovered ceremonial daggers and a magical greataxe designed to kill elves. Rafius, having stood stalwart through the final encounter, expressed a desire to leave scrounging behind for a new life.

((Adventure ran by BTLOTM on 5/20/2023))