Erastus 8th 4709

Magister Deemous and Baroness Maggy begin the day conferring with their advisers on what the town needs most. This gives them itchy feet, and they decide they would much rather be out exploring. Marshal Garess insists they bring a pair of body guards. He fears yet another period of unrest would come, if the current baroness dies in the wilderness just like the last baron.

They agree to bring Captains of the guard Wedge and Biggs. Due west of Stagholm, the group encounters a caravan of Gnomes in dire straights. Kobolds from deep in the Narlmarches ambushed them. The ponies that they had tied to one of the wagons spooked, and ran into the middle of the Skunk river. As Narthropple, the head gnome of the expedition stands on a hill and shouts orders, the Baroness and Magister get to work. The Baroness swims to untether the ponies, as the Magister sinks to the bottom of the river like a rock. The guards muscle the cart to shore, while the floundering Magister and waterlogged Baroness assist.

Narthropple has a sheaf of maps of the region, which he bargains with the charter bearers for. They agree to heal his wounded employees in exchange for the location of an Elvish ruin, and Candlemere tower.

The next day they meet a mad hermit and his pet puma. They try to reason with him, for they know his brother Bokken. He wants none of that. The hermit is bat shit crazy, and after defeating him, the explorers try to reason with him. Doesn't work, so they order Captain Wedge to take off the hermits head. They follow his trail back to the hollowed out tree in which he lives. Inside they find loot and a map to "fabulous treasure".

On the way to the Elvish ruin, they stumble on to a decaying clearing scattered with bones. This is the lair of a Scythe Tree. The Baroness is taken down with one hit, so the guards throw her on her horse, and bolt. A safe distance away, the party rests and recuperates.

They find the Elvish ruin deep in the forest, and proceed to go in through the front door. A portcullis drops on Wedge, blocking their entrance. Through this gate they can see a hole in the southern wall, and take that route instead. They encounter rat swarms, a grimstalker and his pet assassin vine, and find an ancient mithril Elvish statue. They bar themselves in one of the towers and camp for the night.