One for Owl and Owl for One; Humblewood Rewards Thread

[Drew]

Session 1 Recap 4/18/2025

We laid down some foundations of our campaign. Humblewood is a region on the continent of Esden in a world of Everdeen. The region is populated by woodland folk known as Humblefolk and bird descended folk known as Birdfolk. The regional capital is Alderheart the Evertree governed by the Birdfolk council.

We opened in Meadowfen, a sleepy town in the western region of Humblewood. There our would-be adventurers enjoyed some lovely sandwiches when the idyllic setting was jarred by a 20-somemthing Strig (Owlfolk), Cara bursting into the square still smouldering and very shook up.

Our adventurers joined the Cara & Elder of Meadowfenn, Ardwyn (Gallus/Rooster) who definitely did not slip in and out of a Foghorn-Leghorn accent for legal reasons for a debrief. Cara was sent to investigate the smoke on the horizon to the Northwest. Cara reported the Town Ashbarrow was burnt to the ground and did not see anyone but there was a good deal of foot prints, she’s not exactly a master tracker however.

Ardwyn suggested that they call for assistance from the Birdfolk council in Alderheart while the team decided Ashbarrow was their next stop to investigate the matter. Ardwyn was told to send word to the council independently if assistance is to be had. It was established that the local constabulary, Andy and Barney only make it through town every 2 weeks or so so Ardwyn will have to come up with something.

Following a shortcut to Ashbarrow, the team came upon a cart with supplies and a downed Eluran (Catfolk). The cart was being investigated by a group of 3 Mapach (Racoon) bandits and a Vulpin(Fox) named Fray who appeared in charge. A skirmish occurred wherein bandit Baker succumbed (understatement) to wounds from a hand axe.

Bandit Charley bolted while Fray and Able capitulated, were given some foodstuffs and sent on their way with some wounds. It would appear that historical stories of ruthless marauding bandits might be more complex these days.

The Eluran, Eliza was roused after getting conked in the head and said she was on her way to Alderheart with goods to sell at her sister’s shop. Astute adventurers noted this is the wrong direction and the DM has noted-to-self he needs the friggin map on the inside of his screen too as it seems playing with Sara the Steersbird mapmaker he’s going to have to keep his directions straight. Eliza might be a bit ditzy even without a conk on the noggin so let’s assume she was just turned around and lost. Eliza was generously compensated for the crates lost to bandits and sent on her way back to Meadowfen, for assistance from Alonso’s parents that the DM definitely noted somewhere but cannot locate today for the life of him Dante and Beatrix.

Our team didn’t have time to look around but they find one healing potion that either fell out of the cart or from Baker’s belt pouch while he writhed in pain with blood pouring from his widdle scrawny wacoon tworso. (this will copy to each adventurer present).

On to Ashbarrow…

[Drew]

Session 2 - 4/25/2025

Our team headed to Ashborrow to investigate the fire reported by Cara. They saved a mouse family from the basement of the general store and learned a few things. There had been some strangers in town, a Vulpin and a few scrawny racoon-folk days before the explosion. They had warned folk to leave and offered some assistance but the mayor, Constance had urged most folk to hunker down. That decision to stay may have been a mistake as a fire broke out on the watch tower which fell into the granary touching off an explosion leveling much of the town. The Jerbeen family was in the general store’s basement and bid the heroes to gather any supplies they might need. The basement contained anything commonly found as starting equipment including but not limited to various ropes, grappling hooks, pitons etc. (aka The DM says ok to add any basic equipment you did not while in character creation without worrying about gold, questions ask DM.)

The team, while on watch, caught sight of a small glowing creature walking through the tall grass but did not engage. Enroute back to Meadowfen they also encountered a pair of jerbeen thieves. One thief sped into the darkness, the other was then subdued. He was injured and severely scolded while being delivered to the gaol. The rescued family were returned to Meadowfen as well to be reunited. The sleepy hamlet of Meadowfen is now bursting with refugees.

At a meeting of the Mayors with our team, Ardwyn notes Meadowfenn is now overwhelmed and need help from the Capital, Alderheart. Andy and Barney, the local Perch Marshalls, had been dispatched the previous day headed East on the road to Winnowing Reach & Alderheart with the news brought by the refugees re: fall of Ashbarrow. Perhaps someone could be dispatched to catch up to them to relay additional info from our team?

The team resolved to help the town of Meadowfen by improving organization of the town fire brigade, organizing farmers into co-op teams to pull in some of the harvest from fields near Asborrow to help with food, and strengthen defenses around Meadowfen. Additionally, there will be a children’s fire demon drawing contest for reasons?

It was noted that the team intends to follow up on the small fire creature they had seen heading east from the spot we will call “Camping Rock”.

Rewards: Add any basic equipment needed from General Store basement gratis. Constance rewards each player 3 GP for the rescue+return of the Jerbeen Family

[Drew]

Session 3 Summary - 5/3/25

Our team opened in Meadowfen overflowing with refugees from Ashbarrow, they awoke to see the town plastered with warning signs about fire demons drawn by the children of the town (and dragons outside the town). Grabbed breakfast, had a quick debrief with Constance, the Mayor of Ashbarrow where they heard some rumors of a witch who lives down in the swamps and then took a trip back to the wilds north of Meadowfen which might be connected to the fire demons. They investigated burned trails in the grasses, following them to a burnt circular patch near where the trees get thicker and the forest begins. Waiting till nightfall, a trio of angry little fire demons appeared along the burnt trails and were circling in the burnt glade. A fight broke out leaving all but one dispatched.

That one was buried, chained, and secured. Our Steersbird, Rowyn commenced learning bits of its language. Unfortunately, for Rowyn many of those words are profanity from the nasty little creature but some snippets were gleaned as it lay subdued but in a great deal of pain. Ultimately they released it back at dusk. It gathered what little strength it had, then charged the woods eastward, exploding into a shower of sparks and ash.

Our team trekked overland southward to Winnowing Reach, arriving just before dusk.

We will consider the 3 previous sessions as “Module 1”, thus any player character participating in any piece of module 1 is eligible for rewards/loot.

Rewards: Sometimes adventure is its own reward. Ok fine, in the autopsy of the one the fire demons, Rowyn discovered a handful small red gems worth 3GP per player.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, Welcome to LVL 2!

We’ll start in Winnowing Reach next session.

[Drew]

Session 4 Summary - 5/9/2024

Our adventurers arrived in Winnowing Reach, a larger town maybe a city along the road east toward Alderheart. They worked over theories at the Inn and met Alice who told them of a missing grad student Kenna BrightSpark. Kenna had been studying slimes and oozes and what types of excretions and distillations could be created from them at the local Avium Ag Extension. The party split up to meet with the Magistrate, Walden Krane and the School administration. Krane gave the team a swamp map and relayed the grave dangers of a witch in the swamp. Estera Mistyfenn, an exasperatedly pregnant hen and the Tech School administrator, provided details on Kenna’s research. The guard captain of Perchies was also given a full briefing of events for reporting. Emmet, her fiance, expressed his deep worry for her safety. Life has been real rough for Emmet and Alice Lutra since Pa died.

The team headed off into the swamp with little incident and slept a night. Following a muddy ditch shenanigan the team found Susan’s house. Susan’s house has a witchy vibe but she did not appear inherently violent or evil. The team came inside to learn she likes to make motions and has a bit of a past with Krane whom she regards as a pompous ass. Susan had some terrible visions of giant fire demons and wanted to perform another ritual to get more information. She is looking to get some BullRush, a discarded lizard tail, and a few frog’s livers to complete that ritual. She agrees to help the team get to caverns faster to look for Kenna in exchange the team will bring her the ingredients should they locate them.

Opening next session at the caverns.

[Drew]

Session 5 Summary - 5/16/2024

We opened in Susan’s cottage which wiggle-bamfed to a spot near the caverns. The DM did a sub-par describing it but it is not entirely clear whether Susan has full control of what her cottage. The team, through ingenuity and luck, managed to gather the ingredients Susan was looking for to complete her prophecy ritual investigating her premonitions of fire demons. The adventurers found the caverns and went in the main entrance skillfully avoiding the sentry slimes. They avoided a partial cave-in as well but soon after some slimes ambushed them from the cave roof and a battle ensued. Having won the day and reducing the slimy bois to glop on the floor the team continued pressing deeper into the caverns en-route to the central cavern.

In the Central Cavern, Rowyn did some sneaky-sneak augmented by a spell from Holly to rescue Kenna, the missing researcher. It went quite well - until it didn’t. With Roywn now detected and surrounded, Smokey and Holly employed distractions to keep some of the slimes occupied. Poak fired off some cleric salvos and dropped a brilliant heal on the injured researcher to enable her to move independently. Alonso, with backup from Smokey bravely held the line as a rearguard allowing their compatriots to book it back up the tunnel they came in through presumably headed back to Susan’s cottage which was unable to bamf into the cavern because it is not exactly a Tardis - or is it?

Excellent and creative play by all! We’ll open as the team leaves the cavern next session.

Rewards: The slimes killed in the ceiling ambush dropped gems and trinkets worth 2 GP which will copy to every player.