The adventurers decided against traveling through Neverwinter Woods, agreeing that taking the Triboar Trail would be safer. It may have very well been the truth, but the journey was not without its dangers.

Ajax, while keeping watch during their second night on the trail, saw an ogre meandering near camp. Luckily it didn’t see Ajax and, after a time, moved on without incident. The next day, as Dare led them SouthWest along the trail, an Owlbear attacked from the rear. Ajax, with his keen senses, heard the approach and was able to warn the party. And so they fought it, on horseback, brandishing blow after blow from atop their steeds until the owlbear was nothing more than a bloody mass of fur. The victory did not come without its losses, however. Mystic, who was at the time riding her horse’s face (to impress the others or to gain advantage, no one is quite sure), came within the Owlbear’s range. The owlbear attacked her horse savagely, ending its life and almost ripping its head from its neck in the process. If one good thing came from the encounter, it was that it marked the end of strange questions like, “Could Mystic impregnate her horse?”

The adventurers faced one more encounter during their arduous trek to Thundertree, this time from the skies. Drawn to the camp by the light of their fire, a swarm of Stirges attacked. One firmly attached itself to Mystic’s arm for minutes as she decided how best to handle the situation. In the end she took Lilvari’s advice and dropped to the ground, squashing the stirge beneath her. All in all, the stirges posed little threat to the party, though several grew fat with the adventurers’ blood before all was said and done. 

The adventurers reached Thundertree shortly after sunup on the fifth day. Though its been thirty years since Mount Hotenow’s eruption, there is still the lingering acrid smell of smoke and ash about the ruined village. The only evidence of life whatsoever is a hand-written sign near the entrance that reads, “Danger. Plant monsters and zombies ahead. Turn back now!”