Synopsis:

Session begins late on the evening of October 29.  It is cool and damp.  The party has been attacked with arrows and magic while camping on the shores of Loch Mullardoch.  Many party members are either missing or dead.

The remnants of the party comprising Liothien, Kieren, Homer (1 HP), Mem (rabbit form), and Liana (dead)  have regrouped at the camp, and they have decided to flee the woods and head west toward Killilan.  En route they are accosted by an unseen  opponent who calls out "Hold, or I will shoot you where you stand."

Lio responds " Well met,” and the party stops to parlay.

There is a heated exchange of words between the unseen opponent and Liothien.  Liothien warns that he has captured one of the party’s attackers in his warp marble and he alone is the only one who can release them.  An agreement is reached where the party’s lives will be spared in return for their immediate departure from the forest as well as the release of the individual trapped in Liothien’s warp marble.

The remnants of the party begin travelling west along the shore of Loch Mullardoch so that they can leave the forest.

Meanwhile, Joseph Kerr returns to the party’s original camp and finds nobody there.  He looks around and concludes that any surviving members have fled west.  He lights a lantern, gathers his gear, and heads to the west to find the party.  En route he encounters a squirrel.  The squirrel is in fact Rutlett, who has been polymorphed into this animal form.  Joseph discharges his wand of wonder at the squirrel but  only deludes himself into believing that he has been shrunk.  Rutlett, the squirrel, uses his claws to write his name in the dirt.  Joseph  realizes who the squirrel is, and the two of them head west to rejoin the party.

Rhyawdd and Cedric each find themselves alone and lost in the forest.  They each build a small fire for light and get their bearings.  Both head south until they come to the loch.  Rhyawdd is west of the camp and recognizes the trail.  He heads east to the camp and finds nobody there.  It appears that  some of the party members have gathered their things and left.

While Rhyawdd is at camp,  Cedric reaches the shores of the loch on the eastern side of the camp.  He sees Rhyawdd’s torch and presumes that it must be the party.  He returns to the camp and rejoins Rhyawdd.  The two of them decide to head west and regroup with any survivors.  They gather their things and depart.  On the way they notice a light far ahead of them on the shores of the loch.  They assume that it may be the party and hasten their pace  to catch up.

Joseph and Rutlett the squirrel rejoin Liothien and the others.  Greetings are exchanged and  the group decides to continue marching west out of the forest.  Joseph makes 3 attempts to dispel magic on the polymorphed Mem and Rutlett but is unsuccessful each time.
While the party is travelling a heavy fog descends upon the loch.  At about 3 AM the party reaches the edge of the forest and decides to make a camp  to wait for any stragglers who may have survived.

Rhyawdd and Cedric show up at the camp a short while later and rejoin the party.  Kieren uses the healing powers of the Dragon amulet to heal Rhyawdd,  Cedric, and the other wounded party members.  Kieren also uses the amulet to bring Liana back to life.  Liana survives the ordeal, but not without a price.  Her unsuccessful shape change to a rabbit has left her partially disfigured with pointed ears that are almost 3 inches long.  Her previously blind right eye has been replaced with a functioning, pink, “rabbit-like” eye.

Near dawn, Liothien decides to free the person that he has captured in his warp marble.  He heads west of the party’s camp and releases them without incident.  Liothien does note that the person that he bargained with earlier is nearby to collect his companion.

Liothien returns to camp and suggests that the party leave glen Mullardoch as soon as possible in case the faerie folk reconsider.  The party agrees, and they trek west for a couple hours until they find an overhang near a mountain pass.  The position is defensible and provides shelter from the cold rain that is falling.  The party builds a fire and takes a much needed rest.  Joseph tries two more times to dispel magic on Mem and Rutlett but is unsuccessful both times.

Cedric and Rhyawdd stay on watch during the day while the party rests.  Shortly after lunch they hear something nearby and investigate.  They find a wild pig foraging and kill it with their crossbows.  They field dress the pig and proceed to roast it on the campfire for the evening meal.

Late in the day the party  wakes up and collects themselves.  Joseph attempts to dispel magic on Rutlett and Mem.  This time however, Liana gives him some special powder to use in the casting (she received the powder from Gudrum as a farewell gift.)  Joseph uses the powder while casting and is able to return Mem and Rutlett to their dwarven forms.

Kieren uses the dragon amulet to heal the party’s wounds.  Mem uses his healing spells to bring the party members back to full health.  The party camps for the night, which proves to be fairly uneventful.  A skunk does wander into camp, lured by the smell of roast pig.

Morning of November  1.  It is foggy and cool.  A drizzle falls.  Rutlett and Mem decide to return to glen Mullardoch and retrieve Homer, their missing companion.  Joseph agrees to go along in hopes of finding either Baldric or Lord Ross.  The rest of the party decides to stay at the camp and give Joseph and the dwarves 12 hours to retrieve their companions and return.

Rutlett, Mem, and Joseph  return the glen Mullardoch and the campsite that the party made near the edge of the forest.  They wait there and repeatedly call out for the missing party members and Reither.  There is no reply.  By nightfall, they give up and head back to rejoin the party.

Meanwhile, the party has a fairly uneventful day.  Liothien & Kieren drive off a pack of wild dogs that  is roaming near the camp.  Kieren also discovers some fresh hobgoblin tracks nearby.  After dark, a large bear wanders into camp lured by the smell of the roast pig.  The bear drags off the pig carcass, and the party decides that it is best if they let the bear have the meat.

Unfortunately, Rutlett, Mem and Joseph run across the same bear while returning to camp.  Joseph decides to drive off the bear with a fireball.  He singes the bear and sends it running.

When Rutlett and the others return to camp they relate what has happened.  It is decided  that Joseph’s fireball might draw the interest of the faerie folk.  The party decides to fall back west beyond the mountain pass and make camp in the Elchaig river valley.  The trek is uneventful and the party stays at a campsite that they used a couple days earlier.  During the trip a light snow begins to fall as the temperature plummets.
 
Experience point awards and character status:

Liana Ashwood - Fighter/M-U
Total EP’s                   250
Spell point total:       32 / 32
Hit point total:          38 / 38

Kieren Urquhart – Ranger
Total EP’s                   350
Spell point total:       12  / 12
Hit point total:          40 / 40
 
Rhyawdd MacPherson – Rogue
Total EP's                  400
Hit  point total:         66 / 66

Liothien Snowhawk – Fighter
Total EP’s                    50
Hit point total:           75 / 75

Joseph Kerr – Invoker
Total EP’s                2600
Hit Point total:          32 / 32
Spell point total:        21 / 24

Rutlett Trollcrusher – Fighter
Total EP’s                 400
Hit Point total:          63 / 63

Mem Hammerworker - Priest of Loki
Total EP’s               350
Spell point total:      13 / 13
Hit point total:          29 / 29

Cedric - Fighter
Total EP's               100
Hit Point total:          46/46

Homer Goodmead – Rogue
No  EP's
Hit Point total:  10/10