Excursion Into the Wraithwood

A Senior Bale Warden has come to Jastrey looking to find the best and toughest adventurers and trackers for an excursion into the Wraithwood to handle a sudden surge in undead activity and the fear of an ancient artifact unearthed in the hands of Etejeril.

Story Notes

A Senior Bale Warden has come to Jastrey looking to find the best and toughest adventurers for an excursion into the Wraithwood. The amount of undead attacks coming out of the Wraithwood has significantly increased threatening the Balefires. They fear that a follower of Etejeril has found Jeddit O’Jorramn's pipe Gravegasp and is raising an undead army. The Bale Wardens cannot deal with the attacks and go in to the Wraithwood after this threat. There are encounters with the local wildlife and the environment itself. Then they face the necromancer's army then the necromancer himself.

Materials

Ropes to mark a path

Monsters

Spider Licenses
Wolf/Dinosaur Licenses based on APL
Undead licenses
"Warlock" EPIC License

Looking for a few good men

Narrative
A man in the uniform of a senior Bale Warden has come to Jastery. He stands before you to address the collection of adventurers.
Scene Notes
Senior Bale Warden Collins has come to Jastrey looking to find the best and toughest adventurers and trackers for an excursion into the Wraithwood. The amount of undead attacks coming out of the Wraithwood has significantly increased threatening the Balefires. They fear that a follower of Etejeril has found Jeddit O’Jorramn's pipe Gravegasp and is raising an undead army. The Bale Wardens cannot deal with the attacks and go in to the Wraithwood after this threat.The Bale Warden can answer questions about the Wraithwood. He is an expert on the evil forest. He is quite aware that he might be sending then adventurers into a suicide mission but he has little choice. He is a hardened veteran of many conflicts with the undead in the region.
After all the players join the Bale Warden for the hook, he should introduce himself. Then the party has a chance to ask questions of the Bale Warren.

Answers to general questions:
What is the Wraithwood? If you don't know let's just say a cursed forest with a lot of history.
Who was Jeddit? For Istensia's sake do you not know history? A very powerful necromancer with a lot of history
What is Gravegrasp? A powerful evil artifact we hope is lost but can create undead. If this necromancer has found it ....
What are the Balefires? Magical fires that keep the forest from growing any larger
What is in the forest? Witches, wicked fairies, the walking dead, and other monsters.
He does not plan to say this but if asked he won't lie:
What happens to those that go in? They honestly never come out

After the party agrees to go on the adventure, Warden Collins teleports the party using a gate crystal to just outside the forest near one of the Balefires.
Narrative Effects
Forecast (very easy) - This is an extremely dangerous mission
Insight (easy) - He is very truthful and hates to even bring in adventurers to this
Inspect Arms (easy) - He has weapons and armor of exceptional quality
Inspect Evil (very easy) - He is not evil

Entering the Wraithwood

Narrative
You have been transport to an area cleared of vegetation. Near you burns one of the great Balefires that is used to hold back the spread of the Wraithwood. Here is a full squad of the Bale Wardens tending the Balefire and obviously ready for an attack. Not far away the opening to the Wraithwood looms. Just looking into the forest is not like looking into any other forest you have seen. You see darkness just a few feet in to the treeline. The trees are dark and dismal. You start to walk towards the forest to what awaits you.

As you enter the Wraithwood, it is as a blanket of darkness has fallen. The sky is completely blotted out by the shadowy foliage. You can't use the sky to navigate at all anymore. There is a fetid breeze on the chilling wind. Moving through the forest is slow going. Only your own sense of direction will keep you going in the right direction here.. After a short time, you start to notice as if the trees themselves are moving and shifting. Your path behind you doesn't look familiar at all. Trees are directly in front of you that weren't there a few minutes ago. You are having to hike a winding path not at all straight.

After being in the Wraithwood for about 4 hours, you have come upon an area covered in large sticky webbing off the path. Suddenly from above, spiders of enormous size with venom dripping from their mandibles drop down in the middle of the party to make a meal of you.
Scene Notes
The party enters the Wraithwood and is set upon by giant spiders. They drop into the middle of the group of players from stealth. The trail should be outline with ropes of some kind. Anyone outside of the ropes are Slowed from the webbing.

Use Spider licenses

After defeating the spiders, the party find, signs of tracks of humanoids that have come through the area.
Narrative Effects
Commune Earth/Nature (impossible) - You are overwhelmed by the evil in the Wraithwood. The very land is evil. The evil seeps into your mind. 5 Tox
Inspect Evil (automatic) - You are overwhelmed by the evil in the Wraithwood. The very land is evil.
Inspect Magic (automatic - on the Wraithwood) - Necromatic energy permeates the Wraithwood.
Inspect Nature (automatic - on the Wraithwood) - You are overwhelmed by the evil in the Wraithwood. The very land is evil.
Locate (hard) - You believe you can find your way to a powerful necromancer in the forest. You definitely feel like the forest itself is trying to hinder you.
Track (hard) - You do see signs of large groups of undead dragging their way through an area nearby you think you might be able to backtrack. You definitely feel like the forest itself is trying to hinder you.

Ravine

Narrative
You make your way through the forest and before you know it there is an edge of a steep ravine. Almost like the forest itself was hiding it so you'd fall. To progress any further you will have to find a way down and back up the ravine. The span is wide enough that this is the first time you have seen the sky in some time.
Scene Notes
The party has come to a steep and dangerous ravine. They must make their way down and back up the ravine to continue progressing through the forest. Each person will need to make a check to come down and back up the ravine. Falling down into the ravine while trying to climb down or trying to climb up with cause 10 Crush.

Monsters should take this time to study Wolf/Dinosaur licenses
Narrative Effects
Fly (easy)
Conjure - rope or similar tied to tree (med)
Teleport (automatic)
Portal (hard) - cannot be reattempted but useable by the whole party
Propel (easy)
Tumble (easy)
Strength (med)
No SKILL (hard)
Strength+Conjure Rope (easy) - can be used to pull someone up out of ravine
Strength+Propel (med) - Throw someone out of Ravine 10 Crush (yes they take 10 Crush on success or failure, just on success they are out)

Encounter with Talking Wolves

Narrative
After walking through the Wraithwood for another few hours. You come upon 3 large wolves. They are different that the common wolf other than just their large size. You see an intelligence in their eyes. They do not run from you. They sit as if they are waiting for you to come to them.

As you approach the wolves to just a few feet away, the largest actually speaks to you.

[Dialogue with the party]

[ If the party follows read next ]
The wolves lead you through a section of the Wraithwood that appears to be safe for about 15 mins. Then you find that you are in a marsh and it is getting difficult to move in. The wolves spin around and attack. At the same time, other wolves jump out of the forest and set upon you. You are effected by PLOT Slow for the encounter.

[If the party does not follow or attacks the wolves then read]
The wolves run off at you obviously not wanting their help. You continue to walk through the Wraithwood making slow progress for about 10 minutes when the wolves that left and even more set upon you.
Scene Notes
The party encounters talking wolves of the Wraithwood.
The wolves ask what the party is doing in the area. The wolves know about the necromancer and undead but not much more. They will offer to lead the party to him. If they do not ask about the necromancer then they will offer to lead them through a safer part of the Wraithwood. No matter they offer to lead them safely through the Wraithwood. However, they are leading the party into a trap where other wolves can attack them.

Allow for some dialogue between the party and wolves. If the party chooses to attack or not go with the wolves, the wolves run off to get their fellows and attack as a group shortly there after. If the party follows the wolves, they lead them into an ambush where the party finds themselves in a marsh that does not effect the wolves. The party is effected by PLOT Slow for the encounter. Anyone with Tread is not effected by this.

Use Wolf/Dinosaur Licenses based on APL
Narrative Effects
Adapt Darkness (automatic) - Reduce the difficultly of Track and Locate as they can see the tracks better.
Commune Earth/Nature (impossible) - Communing with Wraithwood is dangerous. The evil of the land tries to break into your mind.. 5 Tox
Consult (hard) - "Beware false friends."
Forecast (med) - You believe that following the wolves is a bad idea.
Insight (med) - The wolves mean you harm.
Inspect Evil (automatic) - You sense evil all around you. The Wraithwood is overloading your sense.
Inspect Magic (easy - on the wolves) - The wolves are cursed and this is why they can talk.
Inspect Magic (automatic - on the Wraithwood) - The evil magic of the Wraithwood permeates everywhere you walk..
Inspect Nature (easy - on the wolves) - The wolves are cursed and this is why they can talk
Inspect Nature (automatic - on the Wraithwood) - Every plant and and the very soil is crawling with evil and it overwhelms you..
Locate (hard) - You believe you can find your way to a powerful necromancer in the forest.
Purge (impossible) - You cannot purge the curse on the wolves
Track (hard ) - You do see signs of large groups of undead dragging their way through an area nearby you think you might be able to backtrack. You definitely feel like the forest itself is trying to hinder you.

Through the Wraithwood We Go

Narrative
Since your encounter with the wolves you have been walking for hours uncounted. With forest in perpetual darkness you cannot even tell what time of the day it is. The trees are shifting making your progress slow even impeding progress. Some tracks lead right up to a tree and out the back which are physically impossible unless the tree can move. But it shows no signs of life that you can see as you pass. You are getting closer to finding the encampment of the necromancer.
Scene Notes
The Wraithwood is deliberately inhibiting the party's progress. The party must try to find the necromancer and his undead before he grows more powerful. 2 successful Consult/Track/Locate/Explore check are needed or a single beseeching of a god(Consult with heavy RP). Even as they succeed it should be very clear that they are suppose to feel how hopeless being in the Wraithwood is.

If the needed successes are not got the party takes longer to find the Necromancer and he is "prepared" for them. This is noted in the next scene.

Monsters should take this time to study Undead Licenses
Narrative Effects
Adapt Darkness (automatic) - Reduce the difficultly of Track and Locate as they can see the tracks better.
Commune Earth/Nature (impossible) - Touching the Wraithwood with your mind causes you to recoil. The pain is extreme 5 Tox
Inspect Evil (automatic) - The Wraithwood lashes as you as you sense it and it overwhelms you.
Inspect Magic (automatic - on the Wraithwood) - The Wraithwood flows with necromantic energy.
Inspect Nature (automatic - on the Wraithwood) - The evil in the Wraithwood is deep in the land and unrecoverable
Explore (med) - You scout the nearby area. You do see signs of large groups of humanoids dragging their way through an area nearby you think you might be able to backtrack, but you almost lose your way back to the party.
Locate (med) - You found the location of the powerful necromancer in the forest.
Track (med) - You found tracks of a large groups of undead dragging there way through the area nearby you should be able to backtrack.
Consult (No Check) - If a player sincerely beseechs his or her god for help (not just calls their name but really with emphasis and real RP) then they will answer. The character will glow with a faint light lighting the way for them. The Wraithwood will recoil from this light. They will now be able to lead the party to the necromancer. This divine aid will disappear as they arrive at the next scene.
Consult (hard) - You are given some guidance from above.

The Necromancer - Part 1

Narrative
You finally emerge into an area that is mostly clear of trees. The canopy here is still fully covering the sky. You see undead milling around that have apparently not taken notice of you or just don't care yet. There is a stone altar with an inverse crescent moon on it. Behind it is a man all in black with the same inverse crescent moon on the chest of his robe. It appears that the Wardens were right that there is a necromancer in the forest.

[ After the dialogue with the party ]

The Necromancer places his hands on the altar and a shield of swirling black encases him and the undead turn to attack!

You must fine a way to remove his shield to get to the necromancer while under the attack of an undead army!
Scene Notes
The necromancer begins to speak to the party "Come forward. See the power of the Eternal Shadow. He has granted me great power to raise the dead. Join me as willing servants of his or you shall join me in his army of dead."

[ If any wish to sincerely join, narrator should make sure they are being sincere (we do have evil characters) ]

"Excellent. Move to the size, disarm, and wait and I will initiate you properly."
Note: these players are now effected by PLOT Snare and will not be attacked by the undead.
[ Back to the party ]

"For the rest of you. You shall die. Now all be witness to the power of Etejeril!"

If the players failed in the last scene the Necromancer is "prepared" for the party. The effect of this is that he has been able to bolster his undead creations. He has cast the action "Monsters, Field, Guard X" X is equal to the APL

All monsters but necromancer should use undead licenses.

As undead die they should return to behind the altar to represent more of the army coming in. They should come into play on a 3 count after returning behind the altar (Note: remember there is one monster that is just standing there not fighting so the respawns are only N-1)

For the fight, the altar can be effected by certain story actions and skills and this will eventually cause the shield to fail. The rest of the party will have to protect those disabling the altar. Especially since new monsters will be coming in from that area.

Once the players determine start on the altar with actions the narrator can tell them it will take 30 sec contact to make an attempt and on their knees. 5 successful checks and the shield is down and we move on to the next scene.
Narrative Effects
Breach (med) - You damaged the altar, the shield seems less solid, You feel you could do that again
Dispel (easy) - You dispel some of the magic from the altar. You feel you could do that again.
Purge (easy) - You purge some of the magic from the altar. You feel you could do that again.
Sabotage (med) - You damaged the altar, the shield seems less solid, You feel you could do that again
Enchanting 50 or greater (easy) - You disenchant some of the magic from the altar. You feel you could do that again.
Miner 50 or greater (med) - You damaged the altar, the shield seems less solid, You feel you could do that again

The Necromancer - Part 2

Narrative
The altar crumbles and the necromancer's shield falls. The Necromancer is an EPIC MONSTER!

[ After the Necromancer is down ]

The Necromancer falls. With that all the undead in the area fall down. The necromancer is dead.

[ When they are ready to leave ]

With the Necromancer dead your task is complete. But how do you get out of the Wraithwood?
Scene Notes
After the altar crumbles the necromancer says, "How dare, you! You shall know pain. You shall all pay for desecrating his altar. Do you think I am defenseless. He has given me gifts beyond your comprehension. I shall destroy you and raise you a bind your very souls."

The Necromancer uses a epic license per the discretion of the narrator bases on APL. It should represent a "Necromancer." So some caster, perhaps a Warlock. For this epic, spells do not require incants.

Undead monsters from the previous fight respawn here.

If the party searchs the area their is no sign of Gravegrasp. The necromancer did not have it. This was just a fear of the Wardens that was not true.
Narrative Effects
Portal - leave the forest (impossible) - Forest is making it impossible.

The Toad

Narrative
You wander the Wraithwood for hours trying to find your way back. But none of the paths look familiar. The forest itself is keeping you from finding your way out. Could it be leading you to your next perilous encounter? The forest will not be happy till you are dead.

One of you notices that for the last 10 minutes a toad has been keeping pace with your party on the right in the trees about 10 yards away.

[NPC toad Dialogue with the party ]

[ After the party has decided to follow the toad ]

You follow the toad for what seems like forever but you are never ambushed or run into any of the horrible wildlife in the forest. Eventually you come to an opening in the treeline. It is dark but you can see large fires in the distance. You recognize those as the Balefires. You turn to thank the little creature but he has disappeared back into the forest.

You make your way to report to the Wardens.

Scene Notes
The party is looking for a way out. The forest won't let them go if it has any control. Their only hope is a toad. If the party all comes near it, it will hop away but stay about 10 yards away from the party. Just a few come near it will stand there and be curious but shy. Someone must kiss the toad then the toad will start to speak. There is no transformation. The toad is simply shy until kissed. After that he is friendly and will be happy to lead the party out of the Wraithwood.

Let the party RP back with the Warden to give their report. They will then be teleported to Jastery
Narrative Effects
Consult (hard,) - "Some of the smallest creatures have the largest value." Forecast (med, success) - The toad could be helpful.
Insight (med) - before talking - The toad is shy
Insight (easy) - after talking - The toad is sincere.
Inspect Magic (easy - on the toad) - The toad is cursed and this is why it can talk..
Inspect Nature (easy - on the toad) - The toad is cursed and this is why it can talk
Purge (impossible) - You cannot purge the curse on the toad

This was really fun mod, though I am kinda sad we missed out on the toad!

I agree! Wished we were strong enough to get to the toad!

Wow. Yeah. That didn't at all go as planned.