September 25, 2020 The party departed Dragon Barrow and headed northeast into the Neverwinter Wood and toward the Logging Camp. While traveling along a riverside trail, the party saw a large boar with lightning brands holding court with a group of domestic pigs branded with BAK--Big Al Kalazorn's brand! Cormac sent Gladys to follow, but the boar and pigs scattered deeper into the forest. Cormac big Gladys to follow the boar and to report back. Except she never came back. When resummonsed later, Gladys reported that the boar eventually grew tired of her following it, transformed into a bidepal creature, and blasted her with a lightning bolt. The last thing she was a crackle of energy before all went black. The boar and pigs whereabouts and intentions, unknown. Later, at the logging camp, the party discovered what appareared to be a deserted camp. There was evidence of digging and an acidic stench that hung in the air. The source of that smell soon became apparent when Zergs erupted out of the ground and attacked! The Zergs proved no match for the adventurers and were quickly dispatched. Simplejack attempted the ol' Milk-a-Zerg, but outside from whispered talk that such a thing was possible Simplejack had no clue how to actually do it, and only ended up acid burns for his efforts. Cormac then found thirteen wooden bundle figures dipped in pig's blood and etched with little lightning bolts...very strange. Eventually, Chiao found Tibor Wester, Harbin Wester's deadbeat, no count (ex?) brother-in-law hiding in the backroom of the storage cabin. Another Zerg attacked and Simplejack jumped on top the thing and rode it into the ground. Yee Haw! Tibor gave his account of what happened at the camp, but was very confused and distraught by what had happened and another failed business venture in what he claimed was a long line of bad luck. The party offered to introduce him to Big Al, to maybe make a go at ranching, and they agreed to return to Phandalin together. Along the way, they encountered a centaur, Xanth. Xanth was the last of his tribe, the others slain by a ruthless band of cultists of Talos. Xanth asked the adventurers to join him on a quest, to defeat the cultists at a site he called the Circle of Thunder. Apparently, the cultists were preparing to summon a terrible beast at that site. Xanth hopes to exact revenge on the cultists for what they did to his tribe and to put an end to their evil scheme. The pary agreed, have turned around, and are now headed east toward the Circle of Thunder. PCs Present: Chiao, Cormac, Simplejack Items Gained: Carpenters Kit (Chiao), 13 bundled "voodoo dolls" (Cormac), Thrill of Riding a Zerg (Simplejack)