Journey to the Great Froest

minor Active Sessions 16–16

story arc

Description

The party embarked on an urgent journey to the Great Fruist seeking a wood elf cleric of the Mother who could heal Thalara's cursed wound. They hired tide keepers to speed their desperate race against transformation, arriving at the forest's edge where the Ivy Guard escorted them through oppressive darkness to a firefly-lit elven village. Elder Vrisar initially rejected the outsiders—fire, water, shadow, rot, and oceanic blood threatening natural balance—but Shadefall's appearance and Sariel's vouching earned them conditional acceptance. The elves agreed to heal Thalara if the party first cleansed the walking calamity threatening their home, setting up both the encounter with Daria Farlan and the promise of salvation still to come.

Timeline

Session 16 "Dig deeper."

The Prophet's Curse

Prince Vis suggests seeking a cleric of the Mother in the Great Fruist to heal Thalara's curse, as clerics of other entities can reverse transformations that holy magic cannot touch. The suggestion transforms a vague possibility into concrete destination.

Journey to the Fruist

Urgency compresses their journey—hired tide keepers halve travel time as chanting clerics shape water to push their ship even upstream. At the forest's edge, Durian of the Ivy Guard meets them with wood elves in bark-like skin. The forest itself feels alive, oppressive and ancient, opening paths for elves while threatening to consume outsiders. They reach the firefly-lit village where Elder Vrisar greets them with hostility, naming each party member by their dangerous element. Only when Caelum summons Shadefall and Sariel vouches for Vixia do the elders reluctantly agree to let them cleanse the blight threatening the village—and in return, heal Thalara's curse.

The Undead Messenger

The party ventures into the oppressive darkness of the Great Fruist to confront the walking calamity. Though they successfully handle the undead messenger and her creatures, the actual healing for Thalara remains pending—they must return to the village to fulfill that purpose.