After the chaos in Southaven, the party reconvened at Rusty’s Tavern to plan their next move. It was there that Momeline suddenly reappeared, slipping into their booth as if she had never been missing. She wasted no time in explaining her situation: she was cursed. Whether by magic or something hereditary, she didn’t know, but sometimes she shifted partially into the ethereal plane, able to see and hear everything but unable to interact with the world. It was one of the main reasons she had taken up adventuring. She wanted to find a cure.
With that mystery (somewhat) explained, the group turned their attention to another pressing concern: Who were the Durns? They knew Donavar Reddmark had hired them, but to what end? They needed answers.
Their first stop was Lord Kael, but he knew little of the group beyond rumors. He suggested they try the Rosy Lion Tavern, the kind of establishment that catered to mercenaries, cutthroats, and those who preferred their dealings in the shadows.
At the Rosy Lion, Lirielle concocted a plan: she would disguise herself as a buff, shady character named Mr. McMuscle. The performance, however, was far from convincing, forcing her to pivot into an awkward, overly eager persona instead. This proved useful, as Momeline took advantage of the awkward tension to ingratiate herself with the real shady types at the tavern.
Their efforts paid off. They learned that the Durns were a trio of adventurers-for-hire who had just left town that morning. The group consisted of:
- Tessa Durn: A half-elf with striking red hair, clearly the leader.
- Jesse Durn: A young half-elf boy.
- Kaelen Rynn: A burly human, likely the muscle of the group.
Armed with this new information, the party made preparations for the journey ahead. They stocked up on healing potions from Dr. Bixby Wizzlethorpe, acquired a scroll of Scorching Ray from the library, and purchased two horses (one draft, one riding) along with rations and feed.
At dawn on the 21st of May, they set out for Duskwatch Keep. The journey to Duskwatch would take five days through increasingly dangerous terrain.
The first leg of their journey was uneventful as they made camp near a riverbank for the night. However, as the group settled in, Dravencoles had a nagging feeling—they were being watched. Though they found tracks nearby, no immediate threat revealed itself.
By the second night, they reached the base of the Pale Mountains. Once again, Dravencoles felt unseen eyes on them, and once again, they found tracks in the dirt but no sign of their stalker.
In the morning, strange noises echoed through the forest ahead. Sending Leonard Chesterwolfe, Ferinthria’s newly named wolf companion, to scout, the party soon discovered a group of witches performing a ritual deep in the woods.
At first, the party was wary—the witches had foggy, blind eyes and communicated telepathically, warning them to leave. Suspecting dark magic, they considered attacking. However, Lirielle, ever the keen observer, noticed their spellwork was healing in nature, not destructive. Ferinthria reached out with her abilities and read one of their minds, confirming their intent—the ritual was meant to cleanse the land of necromantic corruption.
Choosing to leave them be, the party turned to leave. That was when the Durns attacked.
Tessa, Jesse, and Kaelen descended upon the witches, swords drawn. Reacting quickly, the party rushed to the witches’ aid.
A brutal fight erupted: Ferinthria grappled Tessa, pinning her to the ground and demanding answers. Lirielle unleashed her magic, forcing Kaelen onto the defensive. Momeline slipped through the shadows, striking with precision.
Tessa finally yielded, acknowledging that they had been hired to kill them—but their contract was now void since Donavar was dead. She told them they should be helping to kill the witches, not standing in their way. She attempted to escape, reaching for an invisibility potion, but Ferinthria stopped her with a quick stab to the ribs. Jesse, horrified, fled into the woods. Kaelen, outnumbered, fought to the bitter end but was quickly overwhelmed.
With the battle over, the witches completed their ritual and, in gratitude, gifted Ferinthria and Lirielle with twisted magical stones that would help them control their growing magical powers. To Momeline, they offered only a cryptic piece of advice: “Go up.” As for Dravencoles, the witches didn’t acknowledge him at all—as if they couldn’t even see him.
The party made camp, preparing for the final stretch to Duskwatch.
As they neared their destination, they stumbled upon a goblin encampment. Rather than immediately engaging, Momeline, who spoke Goblin, approached cautiously. She was escorted to their leader, who was surprisingly open—liking her feigned disdain for humans and elves.
The goblin leader revealed some troubling news:
Blacksoul Silas, a powerful necromancer, was recruiting goblin tribes to form an army.
The leader didn’t know why, only that many goblin clans were answering the call.
He also revealed that they had captured a young half-elf boy sobbing in the woods and sent a party to deliver him to Duskwatch.
The party was preparing to leave without conflict, but as Momeline was being escorted back, one goblin recognized her—calling her one of the “Heroes of Southaven.” In an instant, the village turned on them.
With no choice but to fight, the party faced a horde of goblins:
Lirielle’s burning hands incinerated three goblins in one blast.
Dravencoles held the front line, but was ultimately knocked unconscious from sheer numbers.
Momeline stabilized him just in time, allowing the group to turn the tide.
The last enemy standing was a formidable Goblin Hexer, who attempted to flee, but Momeline coated her blade in Drow poison and knocked her unconscious instead. They tied her up and interrogated her, gaining vital intel:
Blacksoul Silas operates from Duskwatch, leading a necromantic cult.
The goblins were pawns, knowing little of his true plans.
She revealed the location of Duskwatch and of her father’s goblin camp, promising they would be welcome there if they ever passed by.
Satisfied, they let her go, looted the fallen, and prepared to rest before the final day of their journey.