Chapter Five

The Return to Copry and Testing the Heroes’ Mettle


Day one


Upon being refreshed, the group meets and realizing the close calls they had, and knowing that they must rely on each other’s strengths, the party must get stronger.

Posted on a community board:


    WE NEED HELP! There is a gang of thieves attacking the city. We need someone who can drive them away.  Or kill them.


    Have you seen our dad? Please help us


    A wild beast terrorizing a local farming community. 


    “Come See The Wonderous Targo and His Wild and Exotic Creatures”


The party is excited to visit the circus. 


The circus grounds is of many parts: rides, foods, characters from far off lands, clowns, a talented magician, puppeteers and the hallmark: many fantastic and wonderous creatures. 


The Wonderous Targo himself is wandering the grounds. He is lavishly dressed trying to appear as regal as possible. He is arrogant and travels with two large Orc bodyguards. The party tries to greet Targo, only to be blocked by the guards. They try to intimidate the party and Targo suggests that they put away their weapons. When the party asks about the circus, Targo answers with blustering boasts, but really only states the obvious. 


In continuing their adventure the party enters the tent. Inside are numerous cages in which can be found: Carrion Crawler, Macetail Behemoth, Cave Bear, Owlbear, Death Rattle Viper, Fire Beetle. Also, the prized exhibit, a young Treant stands wiltingly within a large cage. He is very smart and terribly sad. When he speaks, his voice is both deep and a whisper of breeze through his leaves. His name is impossible for most creatures to hear, let alone speak. The young treant tells the party that he came from deep in the Blackwood south of Helna and he describes how much he dreads staying with Targo in this cage. 


When the party asks for the release of the treant, Targo scoffs and quickly ends the conversation. 


The party knows this isn’t good—they don’t like Targo. They exit the tent to hatch a plan to release the young treant.


When they return, they notice that a mother and daughter have entered the tent to see the exotic creatures. Since mom and child aren’t too close, Lothriel creates the distraction of opening the giant spider’s cage, while the rest of the party attacks the orc guards. The spider casually walks around and Lemonbutter opens the treant’s cage. 


The fight is going well for our heroes, but while engaged with the guards, the magician from outside the tent moves into the fray and attacks the party with a magic missile spell. While the mage’s attack missies, it gives time for the party to further divide and attack him too. The two orcs drop and Diggles quickly beats down the mage. The party leaves the mage alive but restrains him. 


Targo slinks away toward the mother and daughter, and while his brutes to deal with the party. Seeing an opportunity to save himself, he takes the daughter hostage and tries to escape. More than anything, however, he succeeds to trap himself by the cages. The party flanks him and he surrenders. The mother and daughter run off.  The spider continues to mill about. 



Day Two






The Treant youth is understandably afraid of traveling by himself, and even with the party, wishes to travel at night. The party can only travel 1 mile/hour, but the Treant doesn’t need sleep—he simply prefers the safety of night. The Treant is willing to travel for about 8 hours if the party is out in the open, and 10 to 12 hours if they are in the cover of the forest.  The closer the party gets to the Black Wood and his home, the Treant will travel for longer in the day and as fast as he can.  It’s a total of 60 miles. 


The travels have been going well, but on the morning of the 4th day, the party stumbles upon 2 Green Dragon Wyrmlings. While not too difficult to handle, it caused the party to take another short rest.


When they reach the Deep Wood, the Patriarch, the Father and a Treant Elder appear (make themselves known). With the return of the Treant youth, 5 Treants volunteer to aid the rescuers. They will even fight the Kobolds alongside the gnomes. 


In addition to gaining the trust and strength of the Treants, the party gains increased status with King Felcorin and Queen Lorina for the fortitude and selflessness to bring the Treant through Helna Wood. This increased status affords a permanent living status and personal defense as if they were residents. 

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