Session 6 — Answers

Through further investigation, the party learned that the hostile twig blights grew from the seeds of the fruits of the Gulthias Tree. This explained both the disappearance of the saplings planted by the townsfolk of Oakhurst and the mysterious deaths, as the saplings must have uprooted once they were mature and killed the victims.

They also found a map of the lower level of the Sunless Citadel, apparently drawn by Belak. With this they were able to locate a room with five pedestals bearing strange potions. Whenever two potions were taken off their pedestals, the others were covered by moving contraptions. Though they studied the puzzle for a long time, the party was unable to discern that they could take all five if they simply snatched them simultaneously. Instead, they left the room with just two mysterious potions.

The group located a library filled with ancient scrolls. Erky triggered a mechanism on a shrine to the great dragon Ashardalon and was magically imbued with a tremendous boost to his charisma. To test his power, Erky attempted to persuade Hugo to drink one of the unidentified potions that appeared to be especially disgusting. Hugo was utterly incapable of resisting Erky’s charm and downed the elixir immediately. Lucky for Hugo, it was a benign Potion of Animal Friendship.

Hoping to take advantage of this good fortune, the party backtracked to a cave with animal burrows blanketing the floor. There they had previously encountered amber flame snakes and fled, but this time Hugo attempted to charm the largest of the beasts with his newfound power. Unfortunately, the serpent was too intelligent for this trick, and the party was forced to flee once again.

Advancing deeper, the explorers found Belak’s study. One picked up a book that was warded with a booby-trap spell that exploded on contact, nearly killing several party members.

At last they came to the Twilight Grove where they observed Belak tending to the Gulthias Tree. Beside him were a man and a woman who appeared to be magically enthralled and whose skin looked like bark. The woman wore a Hucrele family ring, so the party concluded this must be the second of her children that Kerowyn asked them to rescue.

They approached Belak, who told them he was expecting them. He explained that the Gulthias Tree grew out of the remains of a vampire that was staked in this location, and that unless the party submitted to him and helped him disseminate the tree’s corrupt fruits that he would have to kill them. Having heard enough, Kerath clutched a Flask of Alchemist’s Fire and threw it into the canopy of the cursed tree…