Dear Reader,

I return to continue the narrative of the aspiring heroes attempting to find and remove the threat of the powerful Gnoll Gritznak “the Bold.” I left off with two members hunting for food as those injured from crossing a dangerous river recover from exhaustion and their wounds.

The Centaur was struck unconscious from a charging boar, but his Heisen-Fodt (Elder Dwarf) killed them and then bandaged up his companion just as three wolves approached. The two knew they would be in real danger from the wolves and retreated, leaving the three freshly killed boars for the wolves, and returned to camp injured and without a major meal (although the Centaur did manage to catch some rabbits in snares).

The group then received a visit from a Nymph water spirit (Ewi’ ah’ hnana), and as she emerged from the water she took immediate notice of the handsome Changeling Minstrel and after hearing they were seeking to end the tyranny of Gritznak and his Goblin associates, she healed him from the wounds he had acquired from crossing the river (he had been rendered unconscious from the crossing and was exhausted) and gave him some rather pleasant tasting berries that removed the exhaustion and fully fed him. She then asked that the group to continue working to remove the presence of the dark fey goblins* in this area as well as growth further north following the contours of the Blacktooth Ridge.

The next morning, the Centaur continued to follow the trail of Goblins and the tribute they had collected from the village of Malforten. However, they came upon an unfortunate Remnant. We Remnants are those that died but never passed on. We don’t know why, but we tend to live isolated lives in the abandoned ruins of towns and villages left forgotten in the aftermath of the 1,000-year Winter’s Dark when the Horned God Unklar rule and waged war on the surrounding lands, or, we attempt to pass among the living, but in the latter case, we need to make changes to ourselves to try and pass unnoticed.

This Remnant had – based on the equipment the adventurers found on him – been an accomplished alchemist and had created “human oil” (aka “concentrated human extract”). Applying this oil – taken from living humans and then chemically enhanced – provides you with living human scent, and you can pass through towns and cities and no animals take notice of your unnatural state. Indeed, if you have a scent that came from a human that has a pet dog, and you are near that dog, they will sometimes view you as their master (altering your appearance is usually needed as well). This alchemy has quite the demand in the Remnant underground trade (I have used concentrated human extract on occasions myself when needed), and if the person is an accomplished phantasmal spell caster, rogue, or assassin, it can work wonders in helping you navigate the world of the living.

The adventurers discovered this Remnant Alchemist had been previously injured by short sword attacks and later killed by wolves. His possessions included professional Alchemy and Poison kits, and a dozen darts. Some of the group were kind enough to bury the Remnant (I won’t forget they did that).

He had finally found peace.

Or had he?

If all it takes to avoid the misery of eternal existence alone is simply to die again, so many of us would have swiftly solved that problem early on in our unlife. But whatever it is that brings us back isn’t always solved by just dying again. Indeed, dying again can lead to things so very much worse…

But I don’t want to think about that. It brings back horrors I don’t want to revisit…

After leaving the Alchemist, they discovered dead goblins, their wolves, and drugged human prisoners that were being taken to Gritznak’s lair. They learned the wolves had died from eating poisoned meat, and the goblins had died from poisoned dart wounds. The humans had been marked up by the goblins for a dark ritual (if only this group of adventurers knew what is in store for them if they make it to Gritznak’s location!), but had been rendered unconscious and covered with a chemical that discouraged natural predators from approaching while asleep (the Alchemist was conscientious of the humans who he extracted human oil from). The group properly surmised that the Alchemist had done this work of killing the wolves through tainted meat, killing the goblins, and then applying the chemical to the human prisoners. They revived the humans (who were kidnapped farmers from farmsteads near Malforten) and chose to take them safely back to Malforten before returning to the case at hand of taking care of the threat of Gritznak.

Fortune favored them and the dangers of these frontier lands bypassed them for their several day journey back. During one night of camping, the group was near the remains of an ancient Elven Tower, which some of the dark fey have called Kuthrad Ondal. The Changeling Minstrel felt the mystical pull, and he showed interest in visiting this place, but the group reminded him that they needed to take care of Gritznak first before they could explore the mystical energy he felt.

Upon delivering the farmers back to Malforten the heroes-to-be set out to retrace their steps back to where they had left the goblin trail to Gritznak’s lair. Their multi-day journey was again without incident until the grassland and forest gave way to hills. Dark hills. As the sun faded to the west on this particular evening, the Centaur’s vision picked up the shadowy contours of a statue of a horned being with arms outstretched. The Centaur Ranger set up camp for everyone and built a strong fire to keep his companions warm during the chilly March night as a light rain began to come down. But they were not going to experience peace this night.

Bugbears emerged from the darkness. Silently. It is said that Bugbears take many forms in different lands. Some apparently have humanoid features in the Borderlands, but in this shattered land struggling in the aftermath of the Winter’s Dark, they appear as decomposed bears with a frightening smoky aura (so many stories are told about them to frighten children). The Hobbit was struck by their frightening aura and fled as the three Bugbears mauled the Paladin and Centaur Hunter, bringing them both to the brink of death before they were killed from the remaining five members of the group. But the harm was done. Even reviving and bandaging the injured members meant that they all were left worn out and exhausted. As the sun began to rise the next morning, the unease that lingered with them from the unsettling night meant overnight healing failed, and the spell casters couldn’t focus enough to regain their spells. The Centaur Hunter knew they would need to settle down for a day and recuperate their health through food and rest. But could they do so in this new dark territory they found themselves in?

Well, that is it for me at the moment. The “dead” Remnant Alchemist lies in his respectfully laid grave, but I must investigate the findings my minions have brought back to me regarding him. There is work I must do…

* Nota bene from the GM: in this campaign, monsters such as bugbears, goblins, hobgoblins, and kobolds are drawn from folklore and thus will sometimes depart quite a bit from the generic D&D versions that have emerged over the last half century; I like the D&D framework, but really want to go back to folklore origins and then move in a different direction.