After-Action Report (Session 9)

Location: Wildermarch Coast, Near the Great Tree

Date: Year One of the March

Subject: Ascent of the Seaside Wall, Encounter with the Roper, and Discovery of the Obelisk

The climb was as arduous as any I have faced, though I cannot deny that something about it felt different - more personal. Perhaps it is the weight of this place upon my soul, pressing with each step, or perhaps it is the sense that our expedition is no longer just about exploration. It has become something more: a journey toward answers.

The wall we scaled was more than a physical challenge; it was a metaphor for the constant pressure we face here in the Wildermarch, where each summit only reveals new mysteries to conquer. Even now, as I write this report, I feel the reverberations of our discoveries - the obelisk, the underwater tower, and the growing weight of our purpose in this cursed land.

Initial Movement

The morning began as many do now - in the company of the N.O.D.E. team. The settlement has grown, but its growth is still tempered by the uncertainty of what awaits us. There is camaraderie now, a sense of purpose. We’ve weathered storms together, in both body and mind, but today’s expedition would push us further than any we’d faced before.

We found ourselves gathered at Professor Fiddlesticks’ hut, where the alchemist’s frantic energy could be felt even before we entered. Farrim’s brew was the least of our concerns - the urgency in his hands and eyes spoke of something more. The dwarf’s lack of focus nearly cost him his life later, but for now, we moved forward. Lorvial administered demerits to Farrim for his unauthorized use of in-camp magic - this system requires further codification before others take a similar approach to their own brand of justice in camp.

But the path forward was a treacherous one. Farrim's questions about strange materials echoed through the air as we made our way toward the cave. The rocks slick with moss, the chasm filled with glowing crystals - it felt like stepping into a place that had been untouched by time and civilization.

Shadow and Farrim were briefed on the prior expedition’s findings as we descended into the uncharted depths of the cave. The wall lay before us, towering 200 feet high, and we each approached the climb in our own way. For some, it was a challenge of skill; for others, a test of willpower. I took the latter path, my heavy armor weighing me down but giving me the steady anchor I needed to make my way up the face.

The Climb

The climb was a trial. The rocks were treacherous, slick with algae, and while Shadow danced up with feline grace, I was slower, more deliberate, making my own path where others might hesitate. But that was what I had learned to do - forge my own way, even when the trail ahead seemed uncertain.

The true danger came not from the wall but from the creatures that lurked in its shadows. Piercers, I learned later, were swift, silent, and deadly. Their drop from above was like a judgment, a reminder of how easily the land could claim those who let their guard down. Farrim's knowledge of the Underdark proved invaluable, as his quick thinking brought down the first Piercer before it could do more damage. But the greater danger, as it always seems to be, was yet to come.

The Roper rose from the wall like a nightmare, tentacles reaching and pulling Farrim toward its maw. I acted without thought, throwing myself into the battle. With every swing, every javelin thrown, I felt the weight of Tyr’s judgment guiding my hand. This creature was an abomination, and it had to be stopped.

The battle was fierce, but the moment I grabbed that last tentacle and pulled it down, I knew it was over. Shadow was quick to follow, riding the creature as it fell, and with one final strike, I buried my blade deep into its monstrous form, unleashing a Divine Smite that severed it from this world.

Loot

• Oil of Slipperiness (from the Roper's saliva)
• Immovable Rod (extracted from the Roper's stomach)
• Mariner’s Splint Armor (extracted from the Roper's stomach)

The Summit and the Obelisk

When we reached the summit, the sight before us was breathtaking. The Wildermarch stretched out in all its untamed beauty, the ocean lapping at the land, and the Great Tree standing as a silent sentinel in the distance. But beauty quickly gave way to unease, for at the top of the cliff stood an obelisk of jagged red stone, pulsing with an unnatural energy.

As Kouzlo approached, I saw the shift in him. The psychic pull of the obelisk was palpable, its influence crawling into his thoughts. I could feel it too, a whisper, but one I had learned long ago to resist. This was no ordinary stone - it was a weapon, or perhaps a tool, wielded by forces far beyond our understanding.

I moved quickly, pulling Kouzlo back from the edge of the chasm. His vision had been overtaken by the obelisk, the same way my own mind had been overtaken in the small pool during our last expedition. It was the same sensation - the pull of something ancient and dangerous, trying to twist and bend my will. But where Kouzlo nearly succumbed, I resisted. Perhaps it was Tyr’s strength that guided me, or perhaps it was simply the will to survive.

It was then that I saw it - beneath the water, a tower with the same red stone, matching the obelisk’s structure. It was as if the very land itself was trying to tell us something. The tower mirrored the drawings we had uncovered from the cultist caves. This new discovery felt like a key to something far larger than we had anticipated. The cult’s reach extends beyond this cave, perhaps even beyond the Wildermarch itself.

Cultist Observations

As I reflect on the obelisk and its connection to the cult, I find myself once more drawn to the cave where we last encountered cultists. The urgency I felt in my bones on that last expedition only grows stronger now. These are not isolated occurrences. The cult's influence is vast, and it is far from being contained within the borders of this wilderness. The red stone is not a coincidence. Neither is the psychic pull - I experienced it before in the small pool in the cave, when the water threatened to drown me in memories and doubts. I know now that the same force that tried to twist my mind in that moment is tied to these obelisks. The cultists have some larger plan, one that involves these artifacts - their dark magic, their ambition, and the abominations they are attempting to bring into this world.

I can no longer wait to chase this shadow. I must find the swamp. The cultists there may hold answers - answers we desperately need if we are to stop whatever is being set in motion beneath the surface of this land.

This land is a crucible, and we have been forged in its fire. We have survived thus far not because of luck, but because we have each contributed something to the whole. Kouzlo’s ingenuity. Lorvial’s leadership. Farrim’s relentless pursuit of knowledge. Shadow’s speed and guile. All of us are stronger together than apart, even when the task seems impossible.

Tyr's judgment must be swift. The scales tip ever closer to the side of reckoning, and I will not let this darkness take root. The obelisk is but the beginning of what we must face. The tower, the cult, the blight upon this land - they all connect. We must find the heart of this evil before it consumes us all.