# Summary
## [[The Defense of Astrazalian]]
With [[The Goblin Army]] hot on their heels, [[The Boy Scout Boys]] meet with the leader of [[Astrazalian, The City of Starlight|Astrazalian]]: [[Lady Shandria]]. Lady Shandria offers the adventurers a favor in exchange for their help defending the city. The party agrees to assist in a plan to take out the goblin army's commanders, including [[Zarl the Storm]].
As they depart the party runs into [[Tsuki Lightfang]], [[Haru Lightfang]]'s sister who he had been searching for. Unfortunately, their reunion would have to wait until the city was safe. The party heads to [[The Mycorrhizal Burrow]], the spy headquarters of Astrazalian, where they meet [[Olacard]], who helps them lay an ambush for [[Zarl the Storm]].
The party lies in wait until Zarl and his forces spring their trap, and the party makes quick work of the Goblin forces they had defeated once before. Light claims Zarl's powerful bow, [[All-Mighty God-Killing Tazarp]]. As the battle draws to a close, [[The Hot Collector|The Thought Collector]] appears, causing the remaining Goblins to scatter and flee exclaiming "[[The Cthaeh|Cthaeh]]!".
[[Or (Adventurer)|Or]], resentful over the influence that The Thought Collector has over him, refuses to join him. Combat begins again as The Thought Collector begins attacking the remaining Boy Scout Boys with a strange blade of psionic energy. The Thought Collector seems to copy and mimic the abilities of The Boy Scout Boys as they fight. It eventually becomes clear that this being is not [[Orzith Ilix, The Thought Collector|The Thought Collector]], and instead is simply a powerful [[Thrall]] being controlled from afar. The battle comes to an end, with [[Haru Lightfang]] dealing the final blow as the Thrall dissolves into purple goo.
In the moment the Thrall falls, Or receives a vision of a dark void where he encounters the true form of [[Orzith Ilix, The Thought Collector|The Thought Collector]], a gaunt figure crucified on an ancient, gnarled tree. After the vision ends, Or claims [[The Psionic Blade]] and a [[Ring of Spell Storing]] from the defeated thrall.
The party begins their return to Astrazalian, hoping to attack the main body of The Goblin Army from behind. Along the way, [[Mia Corvere]] questions Or about his connection to [[The Cthaeh]]. She explains that The Cthaeh is an ancient, all knowing [[Tree of Knowledge]] that [[Orzith Ilix, The Thought Collector|The Thought Collector]] bound himself to, making him the most feared thing in [[The Feywilds]].
The party reaches the main body of the Goblin Army and engages in another battle, ending in their successfully routing the Goblin Army. Or connects with the commander's mind before his death, questioning the worth of his actions, but the commander is resolute to the end.
The Goblin Army's attack concludes with the goblin army retreating and only a small section of [[The Bramble]] destroyed.
---
# Adventure Log
## [[Feywilds Expedition Day 2]], [[Astrazalian, The City of Starlight]]
The [[Druid|Druids]] of [[Astrazalian, The City of Starlight|Astrazalian]] use their magic to weave open [[The Bramble]], allowing the party inside.
Inside, they meet [[Wyrran]] in person, though there is little time to chat as he must plan to defend the city.
The party proceeds on to [[The War Room]] where they meet [[Lady Shandria]], a muscular and scarred [[Eladrin]] woman and the leader of Astrazalian. She offers the party a single favor in exchange for their help in defending the city, and they agree.
Eventually, the group comes to a conclusion about their plan. Astrazalian's main forces will take the goblin army head-on while the party sneaks behind enemy lines and takes out their commanders, including [[Zarl the Storm]].
As the group departs, [[Tsuki Lightfang]], [[Haru Lightfang]]'s sister walks in. There is no time for reunions as the party departs with haste.
As the group heads to [[The Mycorrhizal Burrow]], Mia explains the [[Astrazalian-Fomorian Conflict]]:
- There were many battles in the past lost to [[The Fomorian Army]].
- Astrazalian lost it's [[Keystone of Astrazalian|Keystone]] to The Fomorian Army. In the process, it lost its ability to phase between [[The Feywilds]] and [[The Material Plane of Caledon]].
- Mia's ultimate goal, and the reason she enlisted The Boy Scout Boys, is to recover The Keystone.
The group arrives at [[The Mycorrhizal Burrow]], where they meet [[Olacard]], the [[Spymaster]] of [[Astrazalian, The City of Starlight|Astrazalian]].
Olacard takes note of [[Yuhguna Dyeh|Yuh]], saying "I've met a lot of [[Aarakocra Wardens|Wardens]] and he's the strongest!"
Olacard's men guide them through secret tunnels.
In the woods, Lazhna uses [[Divination]] to determine the location of [[Zarl the Storm]] and his men. The group plans accordingly, lying in wait.
The ambush begins, and Zarl and his forces are quickly defeated by The Party, including [[Dawn]] and [[Psychic Lance]] from [[Or (Adventurer)|Or]] and Lazhna's [[Storm Sphere]].
The group recovers Zarl's bow: [[All-Mighty God-Killing Tazarp]]. Light takes it.
[[The Hot Collector|The Thought Collector]] suddenly appears, appearing as he did in [[Or (Adventurer)|Or]]'s vision during the [[Grom Rescue Mission]].
The remaining Goblins yell "[[The Cthaeh|Cthaeh]]! Run!"
The Thought Collector commands Or to come with him. Or refuses, and combat begins. The Thought Collector begins fighting the party, but leaves Or unharmed. He proves capable of copying the party's abilities, including [[Counterspell]] from Lazhna. He wields a mighty [[The Psionic Blade|Psionic Blade]].
Over the course of the fight, it becomes clear that this is not [[Orzith Ilix, The Thought Collector]], and instead is a [[Thrall]] that he directly controls, imbued with only a portion of his power.
Eventually, Light is able to defeat The Thrall, who dissipates into a purple ooze.
In the same moment, Or's consciousness is transported to a dark void, where he sees an ancient elf-like being bound to a tree roots growing through, and around him, crucifying him. The being looks on Or with purple husks of eyes. This is the true Thought Collector.
Or's consciousness returns, and he recovers [[The Psionic Blade]] and a [[Ring of Spell Storing]] from the goo-corpse.
Mia questions Or about his connection to [[The Cthaeh]], but Or is unfamiliar with the term.
Light offers to train Or in swordsmanship with his new sword. Or agrees.
The group rests for a short while.
---
The group sets out to take the rear of the main force of [[The Goblin Army]].
Along the way, Mia explains The Cthaeh:
- The word is treated with deep seriousness and fear
- The Cthaeh is the most feared thing in The Feywilds
- It is the original [[Tree of Knowledge]]
- It cares only to "stir the pot": it does what is interesting, one could say
- It knows all futures, and knows what you will do with the information you give it
- It deliberately words the information asked of it in a way to manipulate the asker into a certain course of action, without fail.
- In the past, a being as powerful as an [[Archfey]] attempted to dominate the tree, and ended up bound with it forever: [[Orzith Ilix, The Thought Collector|The Thought Collector]].
- Thralls have appeared inside [[Astrazalian, The City of Starlight|Astrazalian]] and attacked it's residents in the past.
Mia asks Or to wear the [[Ring of Mind Shielding]] while within the city. Or agrees.
The group eventually catches up to the rear of The Goblin hoard near the [[Orendel River]] and combat begins again.
The party ambushes the [[Goblin Commander]]. Or uses [[Phantasmal Killer]] on the commander, but his concentration is broken by a stray arrow.
Ayula [[Wildshape|Wildshapes]] into a [[Bear]] and wreaks havoc in a horde of [[Goblinoid|Goblins]].
[[Jié ní]] uses [[Call Lightning]] to destroy the Goblin Army's artillery.
Lazhna blinds the archers with [[Darkness (Spell)]] and attacks the commander with [[Ray of Frost]].
Or, Light, and Yuh assault the commander, and Or strikes the killing blow with his psionic blade.
As the commander lays dying, Or connects with his mind and asks him "Was it worth it?". The commander spouts some nonsense about glory for goblinkind, and dies. The Thought Collector is present in this mental space as well, hanging from The Cthaeh and watching intently.
The battle ends, the goblin army retreats with their commander defeated, and only a small section of [[The Bramble]] is destroyed.
The group begins a short bout of [[Downtime in Astrazalian]].