Thea: The Vision of Horos

[Part of the Darklands of Arkania Story.]

After recovering at the village and successfully defending it against a giant spider attack, Cooper Mantly reassembles his team - now composed of Curian, Missy Sparks, Pineconette (the pine cone demon), and Vayshen Panda. Vayshen claims he had a vision of Horos, the Lord of Night and Master of the Moon, guide him to some ruins in a dream. They retrace the steps in real, with a slight detour to assassinate a camp of abominations, before finding themselves at a Grand University.

Pretty beefy for a goblin.

The undead intellectuals within admit to destroying the Cosmic tree with aid of magic from the Dark One, and tell of how Horos was weakened enough to be tricked by the Leech Lord. In exchange for this information they ask to be freed from their cursed prison, a request that is denied. Criminals are criminals forever and must be punished as such.

Back at the village, something has happened with the wells and everyone is poisoned! I can only assume it's those nasty orcs from before. There are only two options available: try track down a water spirit who might cure them or find herbs which probably will save a few, but not all of the townsfolk. "We all make it or none of us do!" exclaimed Talarian, as he chose the former.

Thea: Zmey

[Part of the Darklands of Arkania Story.]

While en route to the cosmic seed, the Wolf Pack has a run in with some wild boars and due to carelessness, Braxwolf Storm follows in the footsteps of Robert Baratheon and meets his end. Hoping to leverage strength of numbers, Cooper Team combines forces with the Wolf Pack and reach the location the compass points to, the stump of the old cosmic tree, around which is a great serpent named Zmey. As a creature of chaos, he simply doesn't want balance of any sort to be restored.

Even comes with a Save First warning.

They try convincing Zmey to simply leave, but this fails and the snake becomes bigger and starts shooting ghosts out of its mouth(?), killing Schulz Wenzel, Darth Targetter and Heather Bee. In a rage the rest of the squad charges into combat but they are soundly defeated, with Zmey devouring Wolfy Eyes, Atheren and Ald Firstshot and laughing at the remaining survivors who made a hasty retreat back to Hermit's Lake.

Thea: Tears of Peace

[Part of the Darklands of Arkania Story.]

Within the ruined city, the Wolf Pack found the shards of the Cosmic Tree and its mandatory guardian dragon, who refreshingly wasn't really very hostile and was happy to talk. Alas while whatever spell that bound him to his duty had long been broken, he is a beast of his word and refuses to let the team have the Cosmic Shards. Unwilling to risk head on combat, the Wolf Pack just wait until it goes back to sleep and simply steals the shards from it.

This results in the dragon weeping, and me feeling really bad for it.

As soon as they get out of there a band of humanoids led by an orc witch approaches them for a conversation, and Wolfy notes that Thurazz, an orc they once saved, is in the group. Apparently they want the Cosmic Seed to just be protected but never planted. By my understanding if the seed dies then that's the end of all fantasy type critters. If the seed is planted and the light returns, the creatures of "good" will eventually come hunt them. They want it just as it is now to live in peace.

My fresh scars and the skulls on my staff just scream "peace".

Wolfy diplomatically gets out of deciding now, and will simply consider their proposal once the seed is in hand. The humanoids agree to this and wander off.

Thea: Leshy Leshy

[Part of the Darklands of Arkania Story.]

To save time in exploring, a new expedition named "Cooper Team" is sent out to the second location. This group, composed of Schulz Wenzel, Atheren, Ald Firstshot and led by Cooper Mantly find themselves confronting a Leshy: a type of tree demon, one that wants them to slay his brother in exchange for an elf he is keeping hostage. An elf who might know how to cure the Cosmic Tree.

At least the owl doesn't seem bothered by it.

While Cooper Team handles the sudden rampant undead in the region, It's the Wolf Pack that locates the Leshy's happier brother whose grove is teeming with life, unlike the wastes the first one was living in. They agree to try fool Leshy #1 but this attempt fails and they are forced into combat and are soundly beaten by the living tree. Fortunately a plot device demon in the shape of a pinecone secretly traveled with them and sacrificing itself, slays the evil Leshy before any of the team perish.

With it gone, Alysir the elf captive is rescued. The weakened elf tasks tells them that a seed of the Cosmic Tree yet lives and tasks them with retrieving cosmic shards that will help point to its location. Of course, Alysir himself isn't coming with them - he's going someplace to recover. Clever elf, he forgot to mention the shards were guarded by a dragon...

Thea: Cosmic Scales

[Part of the Darklands of Arkania Story.]

Apparently there were some unwanted visitors during the Festival of the Goat: robbers. As if it wasn't hard enough to get resources already. The "Wolf Pack" (Wolfy's team) is sent after them immediately and assassinates all them easily. They then go to the gold mine Thorgrim mentioned and encounter a treasurer goblin. Instead of just stealing his things and being robbers themselves, they just talk it into sharing.

Probably would have shared with the robbers too, if they just asked first.

The expedition proceeds to the place Theodore mentioned and there they find bones of an elf, along with documents that point to two more locations to explore - the first being the home of an old professor. The man tells them that the Cosmic Tree, which used to keep the balance, is dead. He should know - he killed it. In this way eventually civilization will be free of superstition, magic and monsters and will be governed only by reason and knowledge. To hell with the number of things that will die in the interim.

Alas, there is no justice to be found here as the professor simply shoos the Wolf pack out after their conversation. Before they can even draw their weapons, he and his entire tower vanish into the sky. What is this, an episode of Flying House?