Humblewood Recap #9

Humblewood Recap #9 Sunday April 26, 2026 @ 12:00- 4:30 P.M.

 

<<WARNING SPOILERS FOR THE HUMBLEWOOD CAMPAIGN: ADVENTURE IN THE WOOD! >>

PART 2: THE BANDIT MENACE

   The party camped and took a Long Rest to recover from the giant spider ambush…

 

   The group passed the Shrine to Reya and left the Humblewood for the mountain pass over the next two days.

    Going up the mountain pass, Quilliam saw two griffons in the air. Perhaps they had moved into the area after the mountain lions had been killed. He knew they were territorial, so advised the rest of the group to turn back.

     When the group turned back, Zivvy noticed four Birdfolk hiding behind rocks. Zivvy cast Detect Thoughts and learned that their orders were to follow Lucius to the Bandit Fortress. She saw the message in their mind:

Perch Guard Scouts,

 

     Lucius and company have a message for the supposed Bandit Leader, Benna Serridan. Follow them and ascertain the location of the bandit base. Return once you know the location. 

        -The Council

 

     The group passed them on Zivvy’s advice and then Zivvy told the rest of the group to continue backtracking while she went to deal with the four Birdfolk…alone.

    Zivvy cast Sleep and made one of them unconscious. One of the guards woke up the unconscious Birdfolk. The guards decided that Zivvy could be killed and that they could follow Lucius without disobeying their orders. So, one of the Birdfolk Guards reached her and stabbed her with his spear. Zivvy disengaged and ran away 30 feet. The Birdfolk guards ran after her, with one missing and the other three guards 5 feet, 10 feet, and 15 feet behind (The slowest being the one who had to get up from prone). Then suddenly, the two griffons swooped in and grabbed the two Birdfolk guards lagging behind. They soared off to their nest presumable with dinner.

    Zivvy cast Dissonant Whispers and killed a Birdfolk guard. The last Birdfolk Guard standing attacked her and missed.

   Zivvy cast Tasha’s Hideous Laughter. The last Birdfolk guard fell backward off the cliff and pointed at Zivvy with both hands, laughing all the way as he fell to his death crashing into the crags below. Zivvy grabbed an electrum piece from the body of the only Birdfolk left.

    By the time Zivvy got back to the others, she saw that Galadriel the Outlander had been enlarged to nearly 9 feet tall. Zivvy told them the coast was clear and the Griffons were fed for the moment, meaning it would be easy enough to pass.

   The group has a Long Rest and continued up the mountain pass a day to reach the Bandit Fortress.

     Lucius delivered the message from the Birdfolk Council to Benna. The message read:

To Benna Serridan,

    You want Peace? We want Justice. We agree to your terms on one condition. You must turn yourself in and face the judgment of this Council. Know that the penalties for your crime of disrupting the Realm’s Commerce and Killing Perch Guardians on your orders is Death.

   -The Birdfolk Council

 

    Benna said that if this was the price for her utopia, she would gladly pay it. Fray Merridan would lead the Bandits of the Bandit Fortress after her death. Benna prepared her things for the trip to Alderheart and bid the group rest the night at the Bandit Fortress.

     As the group went down the mountain pass, they encountered four unresponsive Mapach bandits standing still. Benna called out to them, “Patrol, Report!” But the only retort was the susurration of a howling wind in the canyon. As they approached, they saw that the Mapach bandits had been turned into statues and chunks had been bitten out of them.

     Suddenly, the mountain pass seemed to move as a Basilisk left its cave entrance. The Basilisk gazed at Benna as she threw a dagger at the Basilisk. Benna blinked and missed. The Basilisk gazed at Zivvy as she tried to shoot the Basilisk with her hand crossbow. She seized up and then turned to stone. The Basilisk gazed at Lucius as he tried to shoot the Basilisk with his short bow. He seized up but shook off the petrification. The Basilisk bit Galadriel and sent its venom into her veins. Quilliam cast Enlarge on Galadriel and hid from the Basilisk’s gaze behind the now massive Cervan. 

    Benna averted her gaze and then missed her melee attacks with her scimitar and short sword. Lucius averted his gaze and tried to use his rapier to reflect light into the eyes of the Basilisk. Galadriel averted her eyes then flew into a frenzy. Galadriel managed to hit the Basilisk once with her battle-axe. Quilliam climbed Galadriel. The Basilisk attacked Galadriel but missed.

    Benna struck the Basilisk once with her short sword. Galadriel missed her two axe attacks. Lucius reflected his sword into the Basilisk’s eyes aided by a Druidcraft spell by Quilliam. The Basilisk gazed at the rapier and tried to petrify its reflection turning its own attack on itself but made its Constitution save.

     Benna missed all three of her attacks. Galadriel missed her two axe attacks. Lucius averted his eyes and missed an attack with his rapier. Quilliam jumped off Galadriel and landed on the Basilisk’s back. Quilliam cast Chilling Touch and a deathly chill spread on the back of the lizard with a critical hit.

     Benna held her Blade of the Wood aloft and said “Justice!” A Spike Growth grew from the cave to underneath the Basilisk. Lucius averted his eyes and tried to reflect light on his rapier. Galadriel looked the Basilisk in the face and drove her axe down into its neck, beheading the creature.

     Lucius cast Prestidigitation to clean the Basilisk head and then grabbed the decapitated head, shoving it in a sack. Quilliam harvested oil from the gullet of the Basilisk and then slathered it on Zivvy’s mouth. Zivvy’s stone body reverted to the furry flesh of a Mapach. Zivvy cut off the Basilisk’s tail and placed it in a sack. Zivvy made a torch out of a Basilisk’s arm. She placed oils from the Basilisk in its hand and wrapped a cloth around it. She then lit it and they entered the Basilisk’s lair. Inside they found a masterwork arrow, 5 rubies worth 25 gold pieces each, and an ewer than made sloshing sounds even when empty.  

      The party had a Long Rest after the tough fight with the Basilisk.

      The party found no remaining Birdfolk bodies on the mountain pass as they moved through Griffon territory.

      The party entered the Humblewood and the box knocked, delivering a Healing Potion to Lucius. Lucius commissioned an Animate Dead scroll for 500 gold pieces from the box. passing the Shrine to Reya, and walked to Alderheart without incident.

      Through trial and error over several Beats (days), Quilliam determined that the ewer was an Alchemy Jug and would fill with a chosen liquid once per day on a command word. Water would fill it with salt water, but Fresh Water would fill it with potable water.  He determined it could fill with Basic Poison (1 dose), Beer, Wine, Fine Wine, and Milk, among other liquids. Each liquid would only fill a set amount and it was different for each liquid. Wine would give a whole bottle and Fine Wine perhaps a pint.

     The next day, the party entered Alderheart and was summoned to the Birdfolk Council. The Birdfolk Council heard Benna’s story in person. Quilliam stepped in to plea for Benna’s life stating the dangers of killing her and allowing Fray Merridan to take over the Bandit Coalition in her stead. Benna was allowed to return to the Bandit Fortress. She gave Quilliam her Blade of the Woods as thanks.

     The group stayed in Alderheart for a Measure (1 week). Zivvy found Susan the Seer (Susan of the Swamp in disguise) in the Canopy Market selling fortunes and potions. Zivvy altered a potion recipe with her Basilisk’s tail and got a Potion of Stone to Flesh instead of the normal result from Susan’s cauldron.

     Zivvy bought rations and water from Eliza. Eliza had a Gauntlet of Defense for 3,600 gold pieces and an old spell book for 315 gold pieces.

     The box knocked and gave a scroll smelling of brimstone and sulfur to Lucius. With no more commissions the Lesser Demon seemed to sigh in relief as the box was closed.

     After a week, the party was summoned to the Birdfolk Council…