October 9th, 2020 Despite Tibor's protestations, the party turned away from the route to Phandalin, and agreed to follow Xanth deeper into the Neverwinter Wood. Xanth again relayed his tribe's tragic plight at the hands of the Anchorites of Talos and their orc minions. The centaur warrior claimed fell sorcery within the Woodland Manse was the culprit for the region's troubles, some dark power there drawing upon evil fey spirits to taint what used to be an idyllic, peaceful wood. Xanth cautioned the party to be wary of the forest itself and believed the trees had grown eyes and ears and were now in league with the Anchorites... And then they came upon a fire-blasted, needless pine tree in the wide clearing. Ten strange twig dolls hung from the tree's lowest branches, swaying slightly in the breeze. Chiao searched the area outside the clearing and found several lightning bolts carved into the surrounding trees. Simplejack felt a swell of energy emanate from the burned out tree, similar to the sensation he felt at the Tower of Storms while holding on to the lightning rod. So the Paladin of Selune trepidatiously approached the tree, touched it, and felt a thrum of energy within. Then, Simplejack reached up, pulled down a twig doll and brought it back to his companions, outside the clearing. Tibor begged Simplejack not to mess with the doll, but the paladin would not listen. He cut open the twig doll and found a still beating pig heart within! Then large roots ripped through the ground and attempted to entwine around Simplejack's leg. He jumped free, but the root caught the ox cart, picked up the ox cart with Charles the Ox attached and Chiao and Tibor still inside. The root slammed the cart and its occupants down onto the ground, knocking out Tibor and hurting the others. Matthas jumped into action, unleashed his not-so-thorny thornwhip, and pulled Charles and Tibor to safety. Eventually, the party fought off the root and decided to leave the tree be. Later, they encountered an orcish patrol led by an Anchorite while cresting a ravine. A battle ensued across the ravine, in which Matthias summonsed a circle of lightning down upon his foes. The adventurers easily defeated their foes, but the Anchorite shapechanged into a boar and fled into the woods. A brief footchase ensued, but the pursuers were slowed down Simplejack's heavy armor, Tiger Matthias learning to use his new legs, and Tibor's lingering got-slammed-down-inside-a-cart injuries. So they followed the blood trail and eventually came to the Circle of Thunder, a large hill flanked with henges. Atop the hill, three Anchorites danced and chanted around a roaring bonfire. The party charged into battle, desperate to stop whatever ritual the Anchorites were attempting to complete, and another battle ensued. The party fought valiantly against the Anchorites and their twig blight sentinels and eventually prevailed, albeit wounded and pushed to their limits. As the third Anchorite fell, the bonfire exploded and sent forth a shower of fiery embers. Once the smoke and embers settled, a new menace appeared--Gorthok the Thunderboar. The shadowy primal spirit appeared atop the hill as an elephant-sized boar, with lightning that danced along its tusks, and the gleam of malice as its looked upon the weakened party. Eager to visit destruction upon its foes, Gorthok pawed the ground, snorted, and prepared to do Talos' bidding... PCs present: Chiao, Matthias, Simplejack Items gained: Twig doll