The Laughing Forest and the Court of Masks

The party of Calarian investigators — Cedric Corot, Krod Snodman, and new addition Andros Anthropos — continue their trek through the dark depths of the Verdant Expanse, following a feystone necklace toward their murder suspect. They rescue a strange eight-year-old boy named Tommy, survive a laughing wave and a mysterious door-carving entity, and ultimately confront a court of fey creatures led by Oriel and Jin. When diplomacy fails, they blast the fey to dust — but the huskification curse continues.

1. Krod Snodman cuts the branch restraining the eight-year-old boy Tommy from 50 feet away with his extend nodachi; the party emerges and questions him. Tommy claims to be from Wrenford, dared to enter the forest by a school friend named Jonathan.
2. Andros treats Tommy's wounds and the party decides to bring him along as a 'deputy.' Cedric attempts to propagandize Tommy about the glory of Calaria, succeeding. Tommy reveals his mother Karen works writing for a newspaper (later claimed to be a law clerk).
3. The party continues deeper into the mid-bowry where permanent darkness sets in. They encounter a 'laughing wave' — a fast-moving torrent of muddy water with humanoid silhouettes and joyous laughter — and scramble up trees to avoid it.
4. During the night in Cedric's Planar Palace, Andros hears faint tapping at the door. Something flees when the door opens and Cedric fireballs it. A half-tree symbol is found carved into the exterior of the invisible door — the party takes a charcoal rubbing but cannot identify it.
5. The party encounters four floating white lights with gossamer threads leading up into the canopy, which compel touching; they avoid them and navigate around.
6. They hear a whale call echoing through the forest — no investigation is made.
7. The party reaches a fungal-glow glade where fey creatures (gangly, blue-gray, with bony mask faces and lamprey-like circular mouths) hold court around two leaders: Oriel (harpist) and Jin. The fey have a powerful jet-black raiment from an unknown patron.
8. Diplomacy breaks down after the fey offer a door to their 'lady's' court but warn the party would die if they enter. The fey admit they aren't directly responsible for the huskification curse but are connected. Jin confirms the party's murder suspect is dead ('he's happy').
9. Combat erupts: Andros charges Jin. Oriel triggers a hideous laughter bloodied effect that strips the party of reactions. Jin casts Confusion on Krod. Courtier troops swarm the tanks.
10. Cedric unleashes a split-shot disintegrate on both Jin and a courtier troop for 164 damage each, instantly eliminating all remaining enemies. The party returns Tommy to his mother Karen, who lies about her occupation. Another curse death has occurred in Hallia during their absence — the curse continues unabated.

Cliffhanger The curse was not stopped — another withering death occurred while the party was in the forest. Tommy Lagerman, an inexplicably resilient eight-year-old found deep in the Verdant Expanse, has been returned to his mother Karen, who lied about her profession. The fey's patron (a lady with a jet-black raiment) remains at large, and the mysterious door-carving entity is unexplained.

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