A month has passed and each member of the party has busied themselves with personal projects. Beskar spends time salvaging more of the wreck of the Mandragora and finds some explosives to resupply his rocket launcher backpack. His assistants from the Witchlight Inn have been outfitted with simple Stormtrooper armor and extremely inaccurate blaster pistols.

Niaelo has started a cult, the Order of the Dark Maiden’s Light, in Trade Town and the Witchlight Inn to bring Eilistraee’s word to the masses and build out a following. She heals the sick, blesses the weak, and definitely doesn’t have ulterior motives. Payment for this aid is to provide a service to one of your betters, as defined by the Order. Women > Men, Old > Young. This of course puts Niaelo at the top.

C’Nut returns to his people for a major event; the Fracas. Hundreds of Firbolgs join him in a competition to collect more of the Waters of Life than their rival families and clans. The amount of running and clubbing has left him feeling bodily stronger. Back around Trade Town and the Witchwood, he checks in on his many entrepreneurial pursuits. Some have borne fruit, others not so much.

Chet spends most of his time at the Witchlight Inn, pouring through Martack’s extensive spellbook, transcribing the arcane secrets into his own spellbook. When C’Nut is around, Martack’s force ghost appears and lends a spectral hand to his studies, making the progress go much more quickly. On the side, Chet confirms his understanding of the Witchwood’s Leylines by teleporting to and back from the standing stones at Paravor.

The party reconvenes at the Witchlight Inn, ready for their next adventure. The Inn is busy with travelers and unusual characters since the Sleeping Curse has been lifted. With a safe route to and from Trade Town as well, the citizens of the Inn have been able to get back on their feet. Not all is well though, a family of Rabbits tells us that the Naglord is raiding a harmless Breggle settlement to the north.

Beskar has an unusual encounter with a magical floating jellyfish, Frederick the Floomf.

Sir Benedict, the drunken animated armor, stubbornly refuses to leave after being cut off. Threats, magic, bribes, and even a kick from Beskar are useless. Until Chet, disguised as an attractive woman as a consequence of “practicing his spells” lures him outside with his feminine wiles.

Outside, Chet is accosted by Glinda the Green. She tells him of riches, power, and magic beyond the party’s wildest dreams in the vaults of the Paravor, the Lost Duchy. Drow artifacts, Dwarven magic, veins of beskar, and the Architect’s Maul. There’s a particular item she also wants from the vault, which Chet will know when he sees it. As a token of good faith and friendship, Glinda returns the Staff of Crones to him.

Glinda abruptly warns of an impending Drune attack and vanishes. Five Drune mages appear at the Witchlight Inn Standing Stones. A brief and explosive battle ensues. The Drune are blown to bits by Fireballs and rockets, despite hurling their own Ice Storm and Counterspell at our brave adventurers.

Niaelo revives the leader for questioning after having Beskar tie him up and drag him to a nearby cave. The Drune explains that C’Nut is the Doomsinger, the bane and arch enemy of the Drune, for breaking the sleeping curse and unleashing the fey on the Witchwood once again. They have many settlements throughout the Witchwood, so enemies abound. It's clear that no reconciliation will be possible with the fanatical Drune.