Where did we go?

• Departed from Dawnport barracks and traveled by wagon into the nearby forest in search of the missing nobles and their soldiers.
• Stopped at Wisemen Gemstore’s clearing, a known spot in the forest where he trades potions for rations.
• Followed soldier tracks and a guiding hawk deeper into the forest to a burned, battle-scarred area where we found dead soldiers and hostile flameskulls.

Who did we meet?

• Wisemen Gemstore: A cleric and alchemist living in the forest who trades potions (including holy water) for rations at a somewhat dubious exchange rate.
• Noble soldiers: Five soldiers from the missing noble party, all found dead at the scorched site.
• Flameskulls: Undead flaming skulls that appear to be formed from the fallen noble soldiers, wearing their helmets.
• A devil (mentioned in the journal): Fought by the noble soldiers earlier; it demanded its summoner “Talk Back” and swore to kill them.

What actually happened?

The party left Dawnport barracks with Dax and his five guards in separate wagons, heading into the forest to track down missing nobles and their troops. On the way, they met Wisemen Gemstore, traded with him, and noticed marching tracks and a hawk signaling a direction deeper into the woods.

Following the tracks and the hawk, the group discovered a burning clearing where four flameskulls hovered around the bodies of noble soldiers. After a hard fight—where all five noble soldiers and four of Dax’s guards died, with Zevrouge arriving late to help—the party recovered a journal describing a failed encounter with a devil seeking its summoner “Talk Back.” Beatrice realized the flameskulls were formed from the soldiers’ remains, and when Dax tried to perform a funeral ceremony, the corpse transformed into five new flameskulls, ending the session on that cliffhanger.

Where did you go?
The forest. (We weren't told specifically where.)

Who did you meet?

Wisemen Gemstore: Traveller who trades healing potions and holy water for 3 rations each.

Noble soldiers: Five soldiers from the missing noble party (out of 50), they were found in a panicked state in the middle of the burning forest clearing.

Flameskulls: Undead flaming skulls that permanently die from holy water or radiant damage. They were also made from the head of the dead guards (their helmets were still attached)

What actually happened? Everyone departed from Dawnport with a carriage ride. On the way, when we met up with a two-way prong, Wisemen were waiting for us; he wanted to trade our rations for his goods. During that time, we also noticed a hawk signaling us to take the right path. The hawk appears to be from a find familiar spell.

We followed the path to the right where 5 soldiers who had no leaders were panicked as they were surrounded by 4 flameskulls. Naturally, we tried to take them out as far as we can. The party received 9 casualties, all being the guards from Dax's side and the noble's. Only one survived. As we hauled the bodies into a wagon for proper burial in Dawnport, some of their heads were detached as they became flame-skulls right in front of our eyes. [End of Part 1]

==============================================================================================================================FFIELD NOTES: The Forest Fiasco
Written by: Beatrix

The Journey Out:
We rolled out of the Dawnport barracks on wagons, 'We' being (Myself, Father Hoilsat, Hanz, Eden, Dax, Zevrouge and Ariana) and 5 other guards. Not my favorite way to travel; sitting still makes my legs twitch, but whatever.

We hadn’t gone far before we ran into a familiar-looking guy camping I've saved two times prior. It's Wisemen Gemstone! This time he's not in trouble?! Actually shocking. Like always, he was trading potions for our rations.

The Lead:
Noticed a hawk flying overhead that practically pointed its wing at where we needed to go. It led us straight to a burned-out, battle-scarred clearing. Five guards scared shitless because guess what? There were those floating flaming skulls again, but this time they're shooting out fireballs!

Note to self: trying to put a headlock on this floating undead flaming head is a terrible idea (Idk they phased through my magic fists), but a solid right hook still rattles their teeth.

I tried to draw their fire, but I can't be a human shield for everyone at once (Best I got was half of them, good enough.) I yelled at the 5 noble guards to run back to safety, they were scared shitless to even move. Then, four of Dax's five guards got cooked. I’m still pissed about it. I told him, get your men to the backside. They're not adventurers; they can't survive. I'm sure he was just following training/protocol or whatever because he already had a single-line formation all ready. Too bad; that was one of the worst formations you could take; all but one were incinerated to death.

I avenged their death-in-vains. I hated the idea of rebellions, but if not only the prince is incompetent but its retainers? I'm starting to have doubts; it also didn't help that I was mind-washed to think this way.

Dax dug a journal out of the wreckage. I'm sure he can fill you in on the info, but all I heard was one of the adventurers I've met, "Talk Back" and how a literal Devil is after him for summoning it.

While he was doing that, it didn't take my dockside street smarts to put two and two together. I looked at the helmets on the fireballs, looked at the headless bodies, and realized the skulls were the noble soldiers.

Zevrouge seemed to give me the sense that he knew the guards who died; perhaps they had a deeper relationship? I didn't ask; I just stood beside him and gave my respects until the corpses started shifting. Now I'm staring down five brand new Flameskulls.

If we don't make it back to Dawnport, tell my brothers I went down swinging.