Synopsis:

Session begins early on the morning of November 4th.  It is very cold and a light breeze is blowing from the east.  There is heavy cloud cover so the moon and stars are not visible.  A thin crust of snow covers the ground.  The party has made camp in a lightly wooded section on the north shoreline of Loch Mullardoch.  There is a thin band (30 yards wide) of conifers between the shore and the rocky slopes of Glen Mullardoch.  A camp is made in the trees adjacent to the rocky hillside.  A large fire is built  from fallen timber and  several blankets and skins are tied in the trees to shield the party from the wind and  to conceal the campfire from prying eyes.

During the second watch Sean, the half-elf, alerts Homer that 2 intruders are approaching the camp and tells him to wake the others.  Sean mentions that one intruder is cautiously advancing from the southeast, while the other has appeared to the south from the loch.  Shortly afterwards a cry of pain is heard from the southeast perimeter of the camp.

At the first opportunity Kieren casts glitterdust near the shore of the loch to illuminate the intruder that is there.  Afterwards Dermid shoots a flaming in the same area to provide illumination.

Joseph casts levitate on himself and rises above the camp to survey the surroundings.  He notes the now sparkling intruder along the loch's edge.  He also sees Holgrim in melee with a sidhe along the southeast perimeter of the camp.

Sean charges from the camp and engages the sidhe that Holgrim is battling.  Blows are exchanged but nobody appears to be injured.

Liana casts a web spell along the tree-line at the shore of the loch.  It does not entangle the intruder, but does block vision along the ground in that direction.

Cedric and Rutlett cut down the blankets in the trees on the eastern side of the camp to reveal the melee between Holgrim, Sean, and the sidhe.  Homer is now able to see the melee and shoots a faith arrow at the sidhe which injures it.

Mem blesses the party members that not engaged in melee.  Sean and the sidhe exchange blows and both are injured.  Kieren levitates above the camp to see past the blankets to the intruder along the edge of the loch.  He does not locate the intruder until Joseph uses his wand of wonder to create a gust of wind to blow away a heavy fog that has appeared at the loch's edge.  Dermid fires another flaming arrow along the loch's edge which illuminates the intruder 30 feet east of his previous position.  Liana also sees the intruder and uses her wand of earth and stone to dig a pit underneath him.  Unfortunately, the intruder is too quick and jumps to safety at the eastern edge of the pit.  Rhyawdd is able to hit the intruder with a well aimed crossbow shot.  Homer injures the sidhe near camp with a second faith arrow.

The sidhe hits both Sean and Holgrim with his sword before collapsing at their feet in a quivering mass.  The intruder near the loch must note this because he charges forward through the forest to assist his fallen comrade.  He engages both Sean and Holgrim.  The incredible speed of the intruder catches both Kieren and Joseph off-guard as they attempt to attack the creature with magic.  Kieren uses his wand of paralyzation but misses.  Joseph casts a fireball but fails to position it on the fast-moving intruder and only succeeds in burning a swathe of forest.

The intruder turns out to be another sidhe dressed in fancy plate mail and wielding a large bastard sword two handed.  This sidhe moves with incredible speed and  agility.  Rutlett charges from the camp and attacks the flank of the newly arrived sidhe and deals it a grievous wound.  While charging, Rutlett notes that the plants outside of camp try to grab and restrain him as he passes by.  Homer injures the newly arrived sidhe with another faith arrow.

The sidhe in plate mail turns to engage Rutlett and deals him 3 grievous wounds before he can react.  Rutlett panics under the onslaught from the sidhe's deadly blade and falls back to where the collapsed sidhe lays.  Sean falls back from the melee as well, and Kieren moves forward to heal him using a heal spell from the Shard of healing.  Kieren also notes that as he leaves camp the vegetation grabs at him.  Mem casts hold person on the sidhe in plate mail but the spell has no effect.  Joseph casts three magic missiles at the fallen sidhe and injures him further.

The sidhe focuses his attacks on Holgrim  and hits him 3 times with powerful blows.  The force of the attacks knocks Holgrim backward, but he appears otherwise unharmed.  The party notes to its dismay that the sidhe’s wounds heal and disappear.  Mem casts heat metal on the sidhe’s plate mail.

Joseph uses his wand of wander and causes the grass and weeds around the sidhe combatant to grow to a height of 4 feet.  Rutlett regains his composure and decides to drag the fallen sidhe back to the camp.

The sidhe engaged with Holgrim notes Rutlett dragging his friend and charges forward to attack.  Rutlett is dealt 3 more grievous wounds before he can react to defend himself.  Again,  Rutlett falls back for the safety of the party’s camp and iron circle.  Unfortunately, the vegetation around the camp grabs the dwarf and holds him fast.  He struggles to free himself but is immobilized.  Homer is able to injure the sidhe in plate mail with his last faith arrow.  As the sidhe moves to grab his fallen companion a thick mass of jet black webs engulfs him and the surrounding vegetation.  An instant later the webs are obscured by a heavy cloud of fog .  As the fog appears, the immobilized Rutlett begins screaming and wailing.

Two huge ogres materialize at the edge of the fog and charge into it.  The party can hear the sounds of combat, but they only last for a brief while.  Mem uses this time to cast a dust devil spell, and he uses the creature to blow away the fog cloud.  This reveals the sidhe in plate mail standing over his fallen companion.

A 30 foot long snake materializes in front of the sidhe and attacks him.  The agile sidhe is able to side-step the snakes attack and deal it a flurry of blows  which quickly dispatch it.  While the sidhe is dealing with the snake, Holgrim and Sean advance to within a few feet of the combat.  Both of them have taken out vials of liquid.  As the snake is dispatched and disappears in a puff of mist, Holgrim and Sean throw the contents of the vials on the sidhe in plate mail.  The sidhe is hit with the contents of both vials and  screams out in pain as the liquid finds its way through the joints in the creature’s armor and helm.  The sidhe appears temporarily incapacitated as it attempts to remove its helm to wipe off the liquid on its face.

Meanwhile Kieren advances out of the camp and iron circle and attempts to free the screaming Rutlett from his entanglement in the plants and webs.  Joseph uses his wand of wonder to cast a lightning bolt at the collapsed sidhe.  The lightning bolt ricochets off the hillside and comes back toward the camp injuring Kieren, Rhyawdd, Liana, and Holgrim.  The lightning also vaporizes the webs around both sidhe.

Kieren is able to free Rutlett, and he hauls him back to the safety of the party’s camp.  As Kieren  lays down the dwarf he notes that both the dwarf and his hand and arm are covered with a mass of small black spiders.  He attempts to brush them off but is too late as they bite and incapacitate him with their venom.  Kieren collapses in a writhing screaming mass.  Rhyawdd takes note of the spiders on Kieren and grabs a burning branch from the fire.  He uses the burning branch to burn off the spiders crawling on Kieren’s arm.  Mem rushes to Kieren’s side and casts a slow poison on him to negate the effects of the spiders’ venom.  After a moment Kieren regains his senses and arises.

Meanwhile, another mass of jet black webs engulfs the sidhe and appears to incapacitate them.  The sidhe is plate mail is struggling against the webs to free himself.  Holgrim pulls three darts from his sleeve and casts them at the squirming sidhe in the webs.  A moment later the sidhe goes motionless.  Holgrim advances to the webs and calls  for Sean and Dermid to help him retrieve and bind the sidhe.

While this is going on Kieren grabs his spell book and casts Elemental burst from it to bathe the incapacitated Rutlett in a fireburst.  The fire incinerates the spiders crawling over the dwarf.  Kieren then uses the healing powers of the Shard of Healing to neutralize the poison in the dwarf and then heal him with a cure light wounds.  Rutlett regains his senses and slowly rises.  He appears pale and weary.  Kieren administers 3 more CLW  (Shard) to Rutlett to help him regain his strength.

Holgrim and his companions  retrieve both sidhe from the webs and bind and gag them.  The sidhe are dragged near the party’s camp and Sean begins ringing them with a circle of powdered iron and holy water.  Holgrim yells for Kieren who approaches.  He tosses a piece of an amulet to Kieren and asks if it is the Shard  he seeks.  Kieren examines the shard and realizes that it is in fact the Shard of Seeking.

Dermid gathers the sidhe’s belongings and screams out in pain as he picks up the  armored sidhe’s bastard sword.  Dermid yells for a healer to fix his blistered hands which have been severely burned, presumably by the sword.  Mem comes to Dermid’s aid and heals his wounds with 2 CLW’s .

Cedric walks over to the sword, examines it, and decides to pick it up anyway.  He bellows in pain as he meets the same fate as Dermid and his hands are burned by the sword.  Kieren comes to Cedric’s aid and uses the Shard to cast 2 CSW.

Kieren also uses the shard to neutralize poison on himself and heal himself (1 CSW), Rhyawdd (1 CLW), Rutlett (1 CCW), and Liana (1 CLW).  Mem casts a CLW on himself ( 1 PP.)

Joseph casts pyrotechnics on the area of the forest that is burning from his fireball.  The spell dissipates the flames in a cloud of smoke which drifts off south across the loch.  Afterwards Joseph examines the sidhe’s bastard sword and decides to pick it up.  As he does so a voice manifests in his head and tells him “My name is Wyrm-Smiter”.  Joseph relates this  fact to the party, and they realize that this is the dragon slaying sword that Cameron Gunn spoke of..

Joseph has a telepathic discussion with the sword and learns that there are many sidhe in the nearby forest to the east and they will undoubtedly come looking for their companions in a short time.  He also learns that the sidhe ensorcelled 5 members of the party: 4 dwarfs and a female.  One of the dwarves and the female died while being polymorphed into woodland creatures.  The dwarf  was buried at the edge of the sidhe forest to the east.  The other polymorphed dwarves wandered off into the forest as woodland creatures.  Joseph relates this information to his companions.

The is a heated discussion amongst the party members about their course of action.  Holgrim and Dermid take an interest in the discussion as they were making ready to question the sidhe to determine the fate of the missing party members.

Rutlett asks to speak with the sidhe that he recognizes as Reither.  Reither’s gag is removed and he immediately begins hurling insults about “manling scum, desecrators of the forest, etc.”

Joseph  queries his sword about Reither and learns that he has a strong hatred of human-kind.  Joseph then asks about the other sidhe and learns that his name is Falathras.  Falathras is indifferent about human-kind and only desires to protect the sidhe forest.

Joseph asks to speak with Falathras.  There is a discussion between Joseph, Rutlett, and Falathras about  terms for settling their differences.  The sidhe want their freedom and possessions,  Rutlett wants Rolf’s body, and Joseph wants to find Baldric and Lord Ross.

Kieren and Rhyawdd both voice strong opinions about leaving the forest with all haste and returning to Achintee.  Dermid and Sean want to keep the sidhe’s possessions as spoils of war.

Meanwhile, in a manticore aerie not more than a swallow’s flight away….
Liothien has made an important discovery.  At the back of the lair he finds a substantial pile of treasure including: 900+ gp, 8 gems, 2 scrolls, a broad sword, and a suit of plate mail in pristine condition.

Session ends.
 
Experience point awards and character status:

Liana Ashwood - Fighter/M-U
Total EP’s                8227
Spell point total:      30 / 32
Hit point total:          38 / 38

Kieren Urquhart – Ranger
Total EP’s               8927
Spell point total:      5  / 12
Hit point total:        40 / 40
 
Rhyawdd MacPherson – Rogue
Total EP's                8027
Hit  point total:        62 / 66

Liothien Snowhawk – Fighter
Total EP’s                200
Hit point total:        75 / 75

Joseph Kerr – Invoker
Total EP’s              9327
Hit Point total:        32 / 32
Spell point total:     14 / 24

Rutlett Trollcrusher – Fighter
Total EP’s             7927
Hit Point total:       37 / 63

Mem Hammerworker - Priest of Loki
Total EP’s              8327
Spell point total:     1 / 13
Hit point total:      29 / 29

Cedric – Fighter
Total  EP's             7727
Hit Point total:        41/46

Homer Goodmead – Rogue
Total  EP's            4027
Hit Point total:        10/10

Treasure:

 Dragon Amulet - Shard of Seeking
“Wyrm-Smiter” dragon slaying, bastard sword