This was a maintenance meeting to say the least, and it was made worse because we started late (later than usual!). Add it to the fact that the party had been meandering about without staying on a direction or a course for a while.
One of the things I do is prep an adventure months in advance and park it - I don't tweak it and make it level friendly and try to make sure that everyone gets a goodie or two in it - some things found won't work for them, some monsters or encounters might be over powered - nothing is perfect - and that is fine because it forces the party to play and roleplay - not min/max (although that always happens no matter what you try - chuckle).
The wyverns were an aside - a chance for the party to fight them in a controlled setting since I had foreshadowing them for months on end. There will be much greater wyvern fights as time goes on, but for this point it was a small encounter and a chance for them to get some hard earned coin.
It also allowed me the opportunity to think about what I wanted to do concerning the existing adventure which had ultimately gotten no where. As will be seen in the next post report I took a bit of advice from my favorite show "Heroes" as well as one of the players who comes over often and early and did a little reset after this meeting - forwarding time 2 months plus and shuffling the game deck a bit.
But that's for the other post report to come. ;)
Write up follows for this night:
The party deliberated on the merits of transporting the now full 4 wine barrels to Ponyboro where according to Gwyn we could net 75 crowns per barrel. We had no idea what it would cost to get the services of Deathspeaker Yondal, but we assumed that this would be more than enough. Coruth’tae was going to go to Cymbarton to Tower Arcane to train and take his Test, journeying with us to Ponyboro and then moving on from there.
We rented the use of a wagon and small horse team, taking the postal bags with us as well. Loading up the wine barrels we ventured onward to Ponyboro and had a safe, uneventful journey. Upon arrival they tendered the wagon and cargo to the stablers and made their way to the Daernhorse Demesne, hoping to sell their wares to the friendly Lord Artis first.
It wasn’t long before we were given audience and Lord Daernhorse filled us in on what was new, learning from us the same. Conversation meandered on until the subject of the wine was broached. Some haggling and back and forth went on its way until Lord Daernhorse agreed to purchasing the 4 barrels at the expected price.
The venerable lord then offered us a job. Being close to the Dusty Mountains, there was often the problem of wyverns to combat. The draconic lizards fondness of horseflesh and with a good expected foaling this year, Lord Artis was hoping to head off a problem. There was a rookery (wyvern nesting area) that was not too far away and if the party was willing to take the nest out and bring back the adult stingers as proof of the deed done, they would be paid for the job as well as a bounty on each adult wyvern destroyed! The party agreed and after some prompting, got Coruth’tae to put off his trip to Cymbarton a few more days so the grey elf could help out.
We left the next morning with a small scratched map in tow and camped some distance from the rookery. The following day had us scouting it out and getting a feel for what was in store for us.
The rookery was on the rocky outcropping of a small foothill, heavily wooded except for the top where the 35’ long lizards had felled saplings and other trees, dragging them into a depression they had dug out and mounded with stones. There were two adults and what seemed to be 4 young just hatched wyrmlings in the nest area.
We waited and one of them went off to presumably hunt and the party hatched a plan. Karis was made invisible and holding a coil of rope crept his way up to and into the nest. The one remaining wyvern sensed him but was confused as it couldn’t see him. With a heave he hurled the rope at the wyvern’s neck, turning visible in the process. Fabambus then animated the rope, having it entangle the wyvern around one wing, neck area, and part of the tail. Missiles were fired and spells slung and Karis drew forth his sword and attempted to hack the wyvern who was screaming in terror – alerting the other one to return.
The wyvern was fast, but hampered by the entangling animated rope it was unable to take to the air and its movements were hampered. It did strike out though with claw, bite, and tail. And eventually the tail struck, delivering a deadly dose of venom into Karis’ shoulder – the half-ogre staggering under the impact, his vitality drained to half!
Detheron tried to race forward to help and Fabambus did likewise, Gwyn firing more arrows and quarrels at the close wyvern as well as the one returning. The fight raced on until the entangled wyvern was slain, just a moment before Karis was accosted by the flying one. The party struggled and swung and fought, dodging tail and bite where possible, Detheron daring to jump into the nest and accord the half-ogre a swift heal.
But eventually the last wyvern was slain and the battle was won. We harvested the stingers from the two wyverns and slayed the young. The group tried to extract the virulent poison from the stingers, getting a few precious doses in the process. Meanwhile the rookery was knocked over and the logs and rocks scattered. In the process the gnome discovered some old chests that the wyverns had in the nest, the contents filled with some treasures in the form of crowns as well as a stout polished black rod than when held gave the gnome the appearance of royalty, his clothing well tailored and in good repair, and gave his a aura of confidence and allure. A rod of Splendor!
We carted the treasures back with us to Ponyboro, gathered our reward for the bounty, and decided to stay for a few days before heading back for home. We spoke with Deathspeaker Yondal learning that the “being” at the heart of Fengarth’s Tower was at one point Magrath, but had become a spellwraith, a powerful incorporeal spell using and magic resistant (not immune) undead creature.
Coruth’tae left us the next day, arrived at Cymbarton where he presented himself to Tower Arcane and volunteered to take the test. It was noted that he passed and garnered what respect and prestige it awarded him.
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