The party begins their journey to the Sybarite Isle to find Juliana and Orlando. They intend to return in one week's time to meet up with Lady Xyrlynn so they can defeat her and steal the money she offered them for Hand of Glory.
Having examined the hand, they have discerned that it has a magical ring on the finger called the Ring of Acererak. The hand once belonged to a powerful master thief named Storath and many mistakenly believed that the powers came from the hand when in fact they originated from the invisible ring on the finger of the hand. Depending on who wields it, the hand has varying powers. For a cleric it can raise the dead, for a spellcaster it can let them use their most powerful magic more frequently, for a fighter they will never miss, and a thief with the hand will always succeed at any skillful endeavor.
They travel on the road from Mistmeadow north to Lighthedge Point. Along the way the encounter two ogres followed by a party of goblins and halflings. The ogres and Orog and Ogresh, and they are merchants selling their famed Ogre mead. The party samples the mead, Kodrus passes out from it, and they purchase several kegs then continue on their way.
Up ahead some farmers warn them that the silent vale is not safe as the priesthood of the dark six have been seen conducting dark rituals there at night. The silent vale is so named because once it was the realm of the enchantress Gurmorel Glimmergaunt, who made an infernal pact to create beautiful weather year round. One day she was punished for her pact and her tower and lands were torn from the earth and disappeared forever. To this day nothing grows in the valley and there is no breeze, birds, or other creatures there.
They pass through the silent vale uneventfully and see nothing. When they arrive in Lighthedge point several hours later the Sheriff confiscates their Ogre Mead as it has been recently outlawed. He also offers to guard their valuables while they are away. Some of the party take him up on this after verifying that he is a generally trustworthy character from the local population. They enjoy the finest food in the land at Lighthedge's local tavern and hire a lizardfolk boatman to ferry them across the way to the island.
The price is steep but they get the boatman to agree to take them to the island and return for them each day at a set time until they wish to depart. The island has a large clear dome atop a cliff where the garden of Propherio, a powerful mage from ancient times, is protected from the outside world. The only known way into the magical garden is through the cave of echoes on the sandy beach below the cliffs.
The party explores the entrance, finds the chamber of echoes and make a wish as local folk have told them to do. These wishes yield nothing. They explore further and slay two poltergeists, an ochre jelly, and a half dozen mudmen as they move deeper into the cave. Finally they reach a beautiful crystal cave with a stunning waterfall and slowly moving, almost frozen ripples. They pass through the enchanted waterful into a small alcove behind it. There they find a portal that magically transports them into the garden above.
They appear in the garden in a toadstool ring. They encounter a band of leprechauns, who taunt and tease them. They distract them by giving them some magical items and escape. Further down the path they encounter two beautiful dryads, who try to trap the Whosis kid with their seductive charms. The rest of the party comes to his aid and prevents him from staying with them.
A series of peaceful encounters ensue where they meet Satyrs, Centaurs, a giant skunk, a giant badger, some giant otters near a lake, a Treat, and several other enchanted creatures. They pass peacefully through the garden until they eventually find the Green Man, who is the caretaker of the garden. They explain they wish to meet with Juliana and Orlando to ask them if they'd like to leave.
The Green Man agrees to let them speak with them under the condition that they allow the lovers to stay in the garden peacefully if that is what they choose. He helps them find the portal to the palace of spire beyond a magical hedge maze. The party arrives at the palace with only minor confusion, as they destroy the two living statues guarding the front gate. When the palace's guards arrive the party helps them clean up the mess and apologizes profusely. They then proceed to speak with Juliana and Orlando, who due to a time distortion have only been missing from Mistmeadow and their feuding families for a few days, thought two years have passed in the outside world.
Eventually they manage to persuade Juliana to return with them to Mistmeadow so she can be crowned and marry Orlando. They all leave the garden peacefully and the next morning they find a boat carrying pilgrims to the beach that they take back to Lighthedge. Due to the time distortion in the garden one year has passed in the outside world during the 12 hours they spent in the garden.
In Lighthedge, the find that the Mayor returned Ezak for the 10,000 platinum reward, though he only paid them 10,000 gold. The remaining money was spent on Lighthedge's port expansion project. Shortly after his capture, Ezak escaped from Blackshore's dungeon and tried assassinating the Duke. Also, Ogre Mead was recently legalized again and much of what was impounded by the Sheriff was drank over the past year.
The party quickly returns to Mistmeadow the next day with Juliana and Orlando. They are well received and there's much celebration. They find that in their absence that Lady Xyrlynn tried impersonating Juliana and returned with the party of rival good adventurers to be crowned ruler of Mistmeadow. One of the good adventurers, Alusys Goldweaver uncovered the plot and determined her true identify before the coronation ceremony. Though the reward was already paid, the good adventurers returned the money, so the reward was still available.
After they left town, the Kruthik Hive Lord that they left wounded in the pit rose to plague the town. First it attacked travellers, then it attacked villages, and finally entire armies of the creatures swarmed the city. With the help of a stranger named Veszafein the Drow, the Kruthik were defeated permanently.
It was also discovered in their absence that the Crown of Commanding was cursed. The Drow warlock helped to disenchant the crown. It's curse would make men attack elves when worn by a town's ruler. It was this powerful force that caused the civil war a hundred years ago and ruined the fabled kingdom of Gladomain. For discovering this Veszafein was rewarded handsomely and the Drow were generally tolerated as traders in Mistmeadow. Drow trading caravans regularly pass through the ruins from the underdark to the city now.
Garret finds that he has returned just in time to replenish his museum and sanctuaries coffers, which have been running low. The facility has grown successfully over the past year and there are a half dozen priests and employees doing research and living there now.
The party took a well deserved rest, heroes again in Mistmeadow. After several nights in town they are approached by a Gypsie who brings them a letter from his master in Barovia. The letter says that the people there are plagued by a terrible evil and promises all the wealth they have to any who will come to their aid.
The party decides to consider this, though they are more inclined to journey to Blackshore to collect the guaranteed reward they already earned from rescuing Ambassador Tul a year ago, and they still have not taken the court up on it's hospitality there. That night they all have strange nightmares.
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