After some discussion we decided to explore the Bronze Forest. Illai consults the spirits of the forest and learns the Bugbears tend to be further south from the portal. We decide to head south and then west. Fae’ael accidentally leads the party to the site of the initial exploration into this area, where Belrith died, she and Illai share a moment of reflection before the party moves along, Gloom pointing out there are more enemies around.
We rested and while I was in my Sentry’s Rest, I saw a vision of being alone in a darkened lake, with a figure looking across the water at me, crying endless tears that ran down into the lake water. The figure is a woman, but wears a strange gambeson. During the night we are ambushed by Bugbears, yet again. Ishum and Naharmatu are able to warn the party, so we aren’t taken by surprise. Even so, the Bugbears prove to be dangerous foes, nearly killing Gloom but I was able to heal him before the Bugbear trying to use his life as a bargaining chip was able to land the final blow. The final Bugbear fled into the forest, and Illai, in Deathhawk form chased him down and killed him in a tense 1 on 1 encounter in the forest.
As we slept I dreamed of the weeping figure again, causing great sorrow in me. I describe the figure to Fae’ael and she sketches the figure, remembering the description of one of the Hirelings we have named Hildrun, dressed in what Fae’ael called “Greco-Roman” style padded gambeson. In the morning, we decide to move into the mountains to get a better idea of where we are. Heading North, Raoul spots something in the distance among the mountain peaks, a massive flying creature descending from the clouds swooping down on something in the mountains and then ascending back into the clouds. He says it looked somewhat transparent, and between him and Illai they decide it’s some form of spectral or otherworldly dragon. They seem to be proved right as later that day we come upon a group of slain Bugbears, sixteen of them, torn asunder by something. Some ripped apart, some of them slain without any apparent wounds on them at all, we push on.
Making camp further in the mountains, as we rest again, I ask Gloom to dream-walk into my dreams to see if he can see anything I cannot. He is unsuccessful, whatever force affecting me is keeping him out. I find myself in the lake with the weeping figure, this time the sense of sorrow pulls at my life essence causing my body to cry despite the fact that Warforged do not have these type of functions normally. Fae’ael with the help of Lady Luck determines that it is the new Plate armor I am wearing that is causing this and between her and Gloom they are able to make it so I can de-integrate with the armor, though I feel extremely vulnerable while it is not integrated into my form.
We move on in the morning, making our way to the highest peak in this range. In the distance, we are able to spot several identifying markers and get a good general idea about where the Bronze Forest is, and we add it to the map. Turning for home, we head down out of the mountains, but that night as we rest, I leave my armor off and do not have the dream again. Unfortunately, we are ambushed by Shadows in the night, their attacks are hideously effective while I am not integrated into the Plate armor. I am unconscious for a good deal of the fight, but Illai casts Daylight, driving all the shadows away but one, which tries to isolate Gloom and kill him, but now conscious, I call upon the Stormbringer to drive away the Shadow and it flees into the night.
After recovering and sleeping the rest of the night, we move along in the morning, coming across another group of Bugbears, and defeating them. We also come across Isabella, a Dragon Hunter that some in our group have met before, she seems to have gained some experience since the last meeting and has slain a few more dragons. She is hunting the great spectral dragon we saw in the distance earlier. We tell her about the battle with the Green Dragon, and she asks who landed the final blow, learning that it was Ishum, she gives him a set of Dragon Scale armor, crafted from the first dragon she herself killed. She tells us there is another Blue Dragon or Sea Serpent thing, she’s not quite sure, which is why she hasn’t gone after it herself, to the west. She also can seem to sense the otherworldliness about my armor and seems to be avoiding me. We give her a potion, which she drinks immediately, healing some of her open wounds. This woman seems to be a very capable and dangerous person, you would have to be to take down Dragons solo.
We return to Paldenro through the portal, and rest there, the tree’s magics working their way into my armor, removing some of the drawbacks, but the main curse is still there. The woman in the dream looks angry now, but still weeping. Being back in safe lands the group goes their separate ways. I decide that when we return to Sophia’s Rest, I will go see Crystal, the Lake Spirit to see if she knows anything of this armor.
