Episode 1: Hello Aunt Tree

In the land of Faerûn, southeast of the fabled Silverymoon a city lies in one of the gentle Ox-bows of the River Rauvin. A city less interested in fables than the trade it relies on to support its people, its life, its growth: Everlund. Seldom will you see folks fawning over architecture as they do in Silverymoon, or even playing in the politics of the Lords and the underbelly in Waterdeep. That is not to say that politics can’t be had, if that is your cup of tea, oh yes, for the city of Everlund is well steeped in the politics of the merchant class.

Outside the bustling town — now that the war with Manyarrows is over and some sense of relative peace has returned to the world — about three miles east of the city, down a side trail that is poorly marked with an old faded sign of wood. Running the fingers over the sign would likely help you make out the words ‘Windy Wigglebottoms home for Wayward Waifs’. The path leads up into the hills and finally the base of the jagged mountains that ring the rift in the land between Silverymoon and Sundabar. This twisting, winding path leads to the base of a mountain that rises jagged against the sky. Up a switchback path that takes an expert teamster to run a wagon up it, atop a plateau that looks as if it had been cut into the side of the mountain sits a grassy meadow. The smell of fresh earth and spring dew seems to be ever present here, no matter the time of year. Rising above it all is a gargantuan mass of tree trunks and limbs that arch and twist in a peculiar pattern. Closer inspection shows that this appears to be many trees that have somehow grown together in an almost swirl-like nature. Not one of the massive sycamore trunks appears to grow straight up. At the base of the tree, there is a small hill; set into the face of the hill is a solid oak door, with a large iron ring set into the front.

Ember (known as Em to his friends), a Tabaxi ranger on the run from something came to this door with haunted eyes. Due to his unwillingness to expose himself to the society of Everlund, he finds his way there with one of the Waifs after encountering her at a campfire in a forest clearing near the river Rauvin. Meeting Miss Windy, an older forest gnome with curly red hair that sticks out in all directions, goes well enough. It is upon his introduction to a wizened old woman named Miss Wigglebottoms that his extreme mistrust of anything that smacks of the fey becomes evident. Miss Wigglebottoms introduces Em to an entity that she calls ‘Aunt Tree’, Em’s confusion quickly turns to trepidation and not a little fear as the tree itself seems to come to life and with a deep creaking moaning, letting Em’s welcome be known.

The day after Em’s arrival and somewhat tentative acceptance of Miss Windy’s and Miss Wigglebottoms’ hospitality (after much convincing that Aunt Tree wasn’t going to destroy him), Em and Windy find themselves riding to Everlund with Gyorg Halfhammer, a rather brusque dwarf in service to the Home as their carter. After some witty banter with one of the tent merchants in Bell Market, Windy and Em observe one of the local guards harassing an Elven woman sitting peacefully on a blanket with a few trinkets spread about her to sell. Upon speaking with the guard — a rather unpleasant experience for all involved excepting the guard, Windy and Em manage to convince the guard to leave the elf alone as they could take her to one of the local taverns where a permit isn’t required to sell. After the guard saunters his way around the market, the Elven woman introduces herself as Mikaela. A child of the forest long away from the sights and sounds of civilization, she seems at first hesitant to trust the odd Gnomish woman and her looming Tabaxi companion.

Removing themselves to the Stag at Bay — a bar known for leagues around as a welcome hearth for those of an adventurous nature, they tuck into a meal of roast haunch and charred carrots and cauliflower. As Mikaela is contemplating accompanying them back to the Home a commotion at the door draws their attention. A rather tall, slim man dressed in finery enters the tavern behind a shabbily dressed human with long white dreadlocks. The commotion being a rather snide comment about the man’s dress and the outcome of what would happen should the be-dreadlocked man attempt to push past him again. Ignoring the dandy, the shabbily dressed man — some sort of priest by his get up, makes his way to the bar and orders a meal.

After the room quiets, the dandy announces that he is looking to hire a team of workers for his employer, something regarding acting as guards of one of his master’s warehouses. The three new acquaintances and the shabbily dressed priest speak at some length with the dandy and upon receiving the details they needed to whet their adventuresome spirit (a promised payment of 100 gold apiece), they quickly agree to meet their benefactor at noon on the morrow in front of the warehouse in question. With an understanding that these newly found acquaintances would need to get to know one another, all of them agree to return to the Home for a night’s rest. The reactions of Mikaela and the priest, a wild man from the hills known only as Enjin, are somewhat similar to that of Em. It is at breakfast the next morning that the companions speak with Miss Wigglebottoms and learn that out that Aunt Tree is a sentient grove, tended by Miss Wigglebottoms, a hunched and wrinkled druid of unspeakable age.

Returning to the Everlund, the new companions manage to arrive early to their appointment, and it was not long until they are met by their benefactor — a large, burly man with iron grey hair named Walter Gellingford, an apparently wealthy merchant if the ironwood cane decorated at each end with silver is any indication. After some small palaver wherein the group discovers the warehouse has been burgled three times in the last three months, with the most recent attempt being on the full moon three days prior. With much disdain and exasperation, Gellingford explains that each time excepting the last, the contents of the warehouse have been rifled and destroyed making it nearly impossible to identify the items being stolen. The only known item is a shipment of Sundabaran silk of a fine quality. Gellingford of course posted his personal guards around the warehouse afterward, however that did not stop the second burglary from happening. The most recent attempt was seemingly foiled as Gellingford’s guard captain Setrick Rathbane posted himself and three of his men inside the warehouse. Though the burglary was foiled, Setrick was sorely wounded and his three men killed outright — torn to shreds. Setrick, even now as the companions speak with Walter Gellingford, lays in a comatose state unresponsive to any of the healers’ ministrations.

As our team of adventurers begins their long rotation of observing the warehouse, they enter the building and start a minute inspection of the interior. Less than an hour passes before Mikaela, working her way behind a 20 foot stack of large wooden crates, manages to find a large flagstone against one wall that appears to rock slightly as she treads upon it. When she uses her crowbar to pry away at the stone, it suddenly shifts and pivots to reveal a yawning darkness beneath. After a brief but violent struggle by a terrified Mikaela, the unseen assailant clasps her ankles in powerful hands and drags her into the darkness. Miss Windy, atop another stack of crates hears Mikaela’s scream and without hesitation leaps to the rope of the block and tackle Em has just finished tying off to one of the rafters after shinnying up a set of shelves that reaches to the ceiling. Unfortunately Enjin is holding the other end of the thick hemp rope and the sudden pressure of Windy on the rope manages to rip it through his palms and tear the skin from them before he can turn it loose. Em slips into the narrow passage behind the crates to find a yawning hole leading (after a short 5 foot drop) to a 4' wide tunnel running underneath the warehouse wall. Thrusting his over 7' bulk into the hole, he grabs Mikaela beneath the arms as she attempts to kick at her assailant. As the elf draws her foot back for the kick, she glimpses the snarling face and red eyes of the creature holding her and it induces an attack of fear that leaves her trembling and unable to speak for some moments. Finally giving way to Em’s superior strength, her assailant loosens his hold upon her and retreats down the tunnel, leaving Em to hand the shuddering elven lass up to Enjin and Windy.

As the priest begins ministering to the elf, Windy jumps into the hole and accompanies Em into the tunnel, chasing the unknown assailant. They soon encounter a rather vicious swarm of hundreds of rats sweeping up the tunnel at them. Pushing through the swarm, it becomes quickly evident that the rats are not behaving normally as they follow Em now dragging Windy on their crawling way up the cramped tunnel. Before he can stop himself Em, carrying Windy fumbles out face first into a short 3 foot drop to a pool of stagnant, standing water. Caught between the utterly disgusting water and the abjectly revolting rats, Windy scales Em like a tree. It isn’t long however before Em manages to use steel and claw to run the rats off, just in time for Enjin and Mikaela to make their way into the tunnel. Thanks to the glow of a spell Enjin casts, they found themselves faced with a warren of tunnels, at least a half dozen or more tight, cramped entries into the unknown.

Taking the better part of valor, the four make their way back up the tunnel to the warehouse and block off the the entry way by placing several hundred pounds of crates over it. Finishing their contracted 24 hour watch, the only occurrence they observe is a scratching sound beneath the flagstone that eventually goes away, deep in the heart of night. In talking with Walter on the next morning, they reveal their findings and point out the weakness in his defenses. Mikaela reveals to all present that the visage she glimpsed before becoming terrified was one of gnashing teeth, a befurred face and red eyes. Impressed by the companion’s discoveries and evidence, Walter gladly pays them for their service. After promising to spread the word of their investigatory abilities, Walter discusses adding an additional 50 gold apiece if they can find the creature that has been attacking his warehouse. Find it and destroy it. The companions gladly agree as they make their exhausted way to the wagon driven by Gyorg, to head Home.