The Dark Forest, pt I
Marching south to the unknown, the party comes to the edge of a vast forest. Plunging heedlessly into the sea of leaves, they soon hear another party coming their direction.
Immediately the party seeks cover, hiding in the trees or, in the druid's case, as a tree.
The intruders are merely the remnants of a gnomish tribe that is now, after years of increasing harassment, abandoning the forest. They are startled by the party's sudden barrage of questions, but offer nothing more than advice. "They got Harry," the gnomes say. "It's not worth staying anymore."
"They," it seems, are the trees themselves. The party is uncertain how much gnomish deductions can be trusted, but wish the creatures well and continue their headlong march into danger.
A brief encounter with a violent vine does not dissuade them; neither do a group of shambling mounds of dirt and leaves and rotting vegetation. They continue deeper into the forest despite these warning signs. Finally the trees themselves organize an attack, picking up their roots and stomping into battle.
At this point the Druid has determined that there is definitely something unusual about this forest. The stench of evil radiates off of what should be purely neutral plants. They use powerful magic to find the path to the source of contamination, only to be ambushed by an even larger force of trees.
The Wizard and Cleric employ Blade Barrier and Wall of Fire, decimating the trees handily. Who would have guessed that chainsaws and flamethrowers would be a tree's weakness? However, some still get through, and the Wizard almost gets crushed by a falling log. He responds by transforming into a Hydra, which at least has the advantage of rapid healing. Meanwhile, the Bard sets himself on fire and runs through the battlefield, provoking futile attacks of opportunity that set fire to the trees.
All of this is clearly being controlled by some intelligent force; the Druid enters the nearest oak and begins searching the Root Network for another mind. He can sense the being but not fully locate it. But the rest of the party is still fighting, and soon enough the treant has to come out of hiding to save his flock.
The instant he reveals himself, the Druid-Bear attacks. Like a Maine Coon cat on a Temu scratching post, the Bear shreds the forest master. Only at the last instant do the tree-creature's eyes flicker, from dark to light; but then it is dead.
Mysteries abound; what can turn a treant to evil? And are there more?
