Scuffle in the Viridale

[TheTigersClaws]

The bodies are found in the heart of the Viridale Forest, on the far side of the bridge.

Four male, human Rangers. (Wardens)
Four male, gnoll Warriors.
One Treant.
One misc. pile of dead plant material (Formerly shambling mound.)

The rangers and warriors are each burned and bludgeoned, and the name "Bane" is carved into each of them. The same goes for the Treant, whose bark has the same force and burn wounds as the other eight creatures. The pile of plant material is also burned in places.

A lone, female druid NPC escaped the skirmish, but can attest to all Wardens and Circle characters that a duo of Banites caused the damage, making threats of future violence against Mossclaw Alliance is they did not kneel to the Black Hand. When the Circle involved itself to stop fallen Gnolls from being raised as the undead in mass, a few Gnolls also joined the fray.

Before the Mossclaw Village could be properly animated or otherwise attacked further, the main host of the Alliance arrived- and a combined strike force of all the Mossclaw races forced the Banites to fall back, but not without leaving the above message to both groups.

[DM Punchinello]

Word spreads of Banite slavers in the Virridale. Any Servants of the Great cycle, if you are out there, undo their work, and restore the cycle. From little things big things grow.

[Zoberraz]

Cold, hard eyes of green and gold survey the scene after having been retold the incident by the druid escapee, with the holes filled by other 'agents' in the forest.

Then the presence parts from the greenery - gaining substance as it does so - to kneel and study the tracks made by the debacle. The observer, a blue-tinged elven woman covered with a forest-blending cloak and light mail has her eyes read over the scene, deciphering the events that unfolded from traces left much like an archmage would unravel the mysteries of a powerful spell scroll.

The eyes close, and a sigh escape Maia. She then leaves her own trail signs for her peers to find: "Danger", "Keep clear" and "Willow". The former two signs held redundant meaning, but the third was more a declaration of how to deal with the danger: bend and do not break.

With the Bloodmaim horde of orcs occupying the Viridale, no one would have a definite claim to it. A couple of Banites - however potent - posturing in the forest was more or less meaningless and she did not want to lose more precious lives over such.

In time, there could be a reckoning. But with the glade taken over by madness and the Wardens surviving it in disarray there was no point getting caught up in more petty conflicts until they could recover.