After their discussion with Rale, the party forms a plan. Traveling south to Dun Brees is still the main thrust. Etain and Lance however, will continue on to Lance’s clan with proof of the ogres. They will convince the clan elders to hopefully start preparation and try to open talks with the higher ups in High Clan Tairan. The rest of the party will travel to Dun Brees in hopes of gathering more information on their foe and possibly finding Cian’s old spell book.

Lance and Etain have a safe journey through the woods. They reach clan Mac Drughaig’s land (Lance’s home town) on the northern edge of High Clan Tairan within a few days. Lance immediately requests that the chieftain call together a council meeting of the clan elders. Lance informs him that he carries proof of the Ogres he spoke before leaving. The chieftain is very skeptical and tells Lance that whatever proof he has better be good or in the least, pretty damn entertaining or he is going to find himself no longer a member of the clan. Etain steps in to assure him that the proof is indeed legitimate and if the chieftain acts on this early, it may enhance his standing throughout High Clan Tairan.

That night, clan Mac Drughaig comes together. Lance steps forward and places the heavy sack he has been carrying on a table before the clan leaders. The look of pessimism on the chieftain’s face turns to one of amazement as Lance loosens the ties on the sack and reveals its grisly contents. The gathered crowd gasps at the sight of the Ogre’s head and a brief silence is slowly interrupted by a hushed murmur.

Etain takes the opportunity to step forward and tell the tale of the party’s battles with the ogres. First the group led by the half-ogre which Lance had been following and then the party’s capture of the ogre fort. She embellishes a touch, but leaves everything well within the realm of possibility. She also glosses over the use of magic by the party, fearing that too much may sway the generally superstitious highlanders against them.

The chieftain listens closely and calls the elders together close to him. After a long discussion, they decide on a course of action. The chieftain steps forward to brief Lance. He mentions Aed, a member of clan Mac Drughaig who joined the Gealach Fuil under king Teigh Mac Eoghan. The chieftain wishes to take this evidence to Aed who may be able to gain quick audience with the king. Lance agrees to the plan and he and Etain will accompany a small diplomatic contingent to King Teigh Mac Eoghan’s lands first thing in the morning.

That following morning, Lance awakens to a vision. A chill passes over him and he looks up to see the flap on his tent has come completely open. He rises to close it and he sees a figure standing in the distance. Squinting for a closer look, he sees it is a tall, powerful looking warrior. He is surrounded by a golden haze and in his hand he wields a deadly longspear. The figure lowers his head and slowly levels his spear toward Lance. As he does this, the spear seems to get impossibly closer, and closer. Lance is unable to take his eyes off the spear and can see as it descends, leveling toward him, there is something on the tip. Skewered on the spear is the head of an adder. Lance looks up at the figure and the figure points west with its free hand and is gone.

Lance ponders this vision for a while and is positive it is a sign from his god, Lugh. If an avatar of Lugh, it was in the aspect of the slayer of beasts, and the message seems clear...in general. He is to head west in search of a serpent. Still, Lance wishes to see his original mission through. So he and Etain set off to king Teigh Mac Eoghan’s lands along with the chieftain and a small group. There, things go mostly according to plan. Lance presents his evidence to Aed who in turn gains and audience with the king. He reports back to Lance that the king has agreed to look into the matter. However, he wishes to send one of his own men north first to check out the situation. It may be difficult to find someone willing to traverse to long forgotten Wood, but Aed assures them something is being done and that he himself will go if there are no volunteers. Lance thanks him and leaves immediately to head west, leaving Etain behind to make sure the issue is not ignored.

Meanwhile, farther west, the rest of the party has decided to travel to Dun Brees. Bebe, Liam, Cian, Dierdre, Cinn Oir, and Archu (Ceridwen showed just as the party was leaving and spoke at length with Archu. She grabbed some supplies and returned to Lynn immediately). The group decides to take a more direct route to the western coast which will lead them through the heart of the woods.

The trees get larger and larger as they travel toward the center of the Wood. Their huge canopies blot out the sun and leave little light for ground-level vegetation. At one point, Cian, who is flying above the party but below the towering canopy, feels a sudden surge of air and change in pressure from above. Looking up he sees the great canopies rattle and sway briefly as if being blown by an enormous wind. Suspecting a large flying creature, he lowers altitude a bit and keeps a watchful eye on the trees above.

They travel for several days and on the third day, find what seems to be a perfect spot to camp. The enormous roots that pop out of the earth through this part of the wood have formed something of a short corridor leading into a good sized hollowed out portion of a tree. They settle in to camp for the night.

Their rest is interrupted however. Liam is standing watch and he notes a mysterious fog rolling in. Suspecting magic, he turns to wake the others and as he does, an arrow flies over his head striking the root wall next to him. Liam quickly mounts his horse with a shout to wake the others, and he rides through the fog, heading for what he hopes is the edge of it on the left side. Cinn Oir is up quickly an dtaking note of the direction of the arrow she blindly tosses an Entangle spell, hoping to ensnare any enemies.

The party rises quickly (with the exception of Bebe and Archu who aren’t present for this session…they "guard the camp" unless things get ugly) and takes up positions around the entrance to the hollow. Cian takes to the air searching for the archer. Liam finds the edge of the fog and as he breaks through is nearly knocked out of the saddle by a whip-like weapon. Getting his balance, he looks around and sees something else has burst through the fog behind him. A large purple toned feline. It sits crouched on three pairs of legs. Growing from its back are long, spiny tentacles. Liam blinks to try to get a better look, and as he does the form shifts to one side, without the cat actually moving!

Liam starts to ride forward to attack, and swings his sword. Positive that he struck the beast, he finds himself slicing only the air as the cat again seems to change position entirely. Again a tentacle slaps him hard across the chest and Liam rides back. He drops his sword and begins to ready his bow. As he does, the cat slinks back into the edge of the fog. By the time his bow is strung, the creature has disappeared completely into the thick mist.

Back near the hollow, Cinn Oir and her black bear are waiting on the edge of the mist. Dierdre climbs carefully to the top of the root wall on the left of the hollow entrance and begins scanning for targets. Without warning, a tentacle swings out from the edge of the fog bank. It strikes the black bear, which with amazing agility, grabs hold of the tentacle in its toothy maw. Unable to hang on, it nevertheless deals a nasty wound to the long appendage. Cinn Oir steps forward to engage the beast but can no longer see it. It has once again disappeared into the fog. Cinn Oir’s black bear was severely wounded in the brief melee, and she orders back into the hollow for protection.

Cinn Oir and Liam give pursuit, breaking the fog once again on the left side of the tree. Dierdre stays put on the top of the tree root wall, still scanning for targets. Cian continues searching for the sniper. He is having little luck however in the pitch black woods as the heavy canopy completely blots out the moonlight. After a bit, he lands beside Dierdre on the highest point of the left root wall.

Cinn Oir and Liam break through the fog and find themselves face to face with the deadly creature. They engage with frustrating results. Liam’s bow shot is wide and as Cinn Oir casts Flame Blade and prepares to engage, she is struck by an arrow from behind.

Kentaka (Cian’s hawk familiar) suddenly pipes up. The last bowshot gave him a target and he and Cian streak to the scene. In the near total darkness, Cian almost misses it, but his hawk flies true and brings its talons to bear on the archer. Only about sixty feet behind Cinn Oir stands the squat archer. Only five feet tall but broad and muscular and clad in leather armor. Atop his head is a crimson cap and a sturdy composite longbow is in his hands. He sees the two birds flying in and he points a finger, firing a sickly green ray at Cian. The shot strikes but there is no effect. Cian engages and tears into the humanoid with deadly accuracy.

The pitched melee continues and Dierdre more hears than sees it. Unable to distinguish the dark shapes in the distance, she calls out for a light. Cian obliges. He is more than happy to leave melee with the barrel chested archer who has just produced a wicked axe and several nice chunks out of him. Cian, disengages and casts Light on a nearby stick. Now lit up as plain as day, Dierdre begins to unleash Magic Missiles. The strange humanoid is struck several times and it flees the light, giving a low whistle as he does.

The beastly cat breaks off from Cinn Oir and Liam and disappears into the darkness. The party begins to regroup by the edge of the fog and Cian sends his hawk down to fetch the light imbued stick. With it, the hawk gives pursuit, trying to keep a light on the enemy. As the hawk nears the enemy, he sees the humanoid has dropped his axe and returned to wielding the bow. The hawk takes an arrow, but continues to fly defensively, trying to keep the enemy in sight. Cian lands and manages to cast a Slow spell despite his awkward animal form. Both the feline and its master are targeted, though only the humanoid fails his save.

Liam charges forward, and with a well planned ride by attack, slashes the archer with a grievous wound. The archer drops, but the strange feline stays protectively by his side. Cinn Oir rushes in to attack, taking numerous strikes from the waiting tentacles which nearly drops her. Having gone to far to turn back now, she swings with her Flame Blade and strikes the creature. Liam wheels for another ride by attack and deals a minor wound to the cat while more Magic Missiles fly in. The cat, now questioning its loyalties, turns and flees for the darkness of the woods. Kentaka however is able to keep it within range of the Light imbued stick he carries and soon Liam rides the creature down and finishes it off. The group loots the bodies (Cinn Oir skins the feline) and they rest up until morning.

The the next morning the party tracks the humanoid back to his lair. There they discover a small cave where this humanoid and his "pet" must have lived. From the initial chamber there is a drop into a smaller chamber below with a strange standing stone within. Beside it is a blood-stained sack, which is very reminiscent of the color of the odd humanoid’s cap (DM's Note: For anyone that hasn't caught on, it was a Red Cap, designed by our very own Myron Breeden.) Cinn Oir tends to the blood encrusted stone as she is compelled to do but finds herself overwhelmed with a feeling of jealousy and rage as she completes process. A strange pall descends over the area, and lingers briefly.

As they are leaving the cave, Liam feels a warm trickle about his neck. Reaching up he discovers a small cut around the length of his throat. It is a superficial wound, but mysterious indeed. The session ends with the party resuming its journey back into the inhabited lands of the south and toward Dun Brees….