Meet 73, Adv 4, 1/24/15

New characters once again.

We introduced 2 of the 3 new characters into the group this night and it did not go well. There is a wide range of player types at the table from the serious to the not-so and from the role player to the laid back - and it sort of clashed at this meeting.

We had some time after wards to discuss this as friends (over the next full week and countless emails) and seem to have resolved it, but we'll have to see how the new party gels over the next couple of sessions before I declare the issue resolved.

Write up follows:

The survivors crept their way off the Griffanus Estate, pausing near the actual house briefly. It was dark, no dogs, no smoke from the chimney, no…nothing. It was eerie, unsettling, and utterly spooky. No one dared to enter the house; instead we continued to bring our wounded and hurt to the gate off the property and to Crastori and Oona Thanach.

We spoke with the Thanach at length, getting them to understand that staying here might not be a good idea. In fact, it would be better to abandon the home now. So we had them gather up all their dogs, belongings, and field hands and follow the rest of the party to the town. Once there, many of the field hands went off to family (extended) while the Thanach family followed the group to the Temple of Demeter.

Some of the dogs would be taken in, as well as the children and Selene; the others would have to find other lodgings for now. In addition, this would only be for a week or so and then the temple would have to help the Thanach find someplace else to get shelter.

This then led to what happened to Pawn – and the group regaled the High Priestess with the halfling’s loss and the terror we had to face and fight under the Griffanus home. The only bit of succor we were given was that the higher order undead we might have faced that we destroyed, were most likely not going to be easily replaced. It seemed to be a small comfort to us and as a party we were feeling very outside of our element.

We had lost friends and comrades and had nothing to show for it except being even less capable for a return visit. And the dwarf? Still unseen and most likely more than ready for us.

We needed help. That’s the truth of it.

The High Priest informed us that the Halfling Echinus was hanging out today waiting to talk to Pawn as well as us – and had met up with two elves who had come with the interest in joining the party. Elves? Two of them? And looking for us? Our suspicion meter started pinging. We did not want to deal with this as of now, so snuck out to talk to the Sheriff.

We regaled the local constabulary about what we had seen and what was most likely against us. He was interest in clearing out the estates nearest the Griffanus, as well as finding his missing men. He would be working on clearing them out tomorrow (as well as going to talk to the Lord with the group) but said that he wanted to know that the group was going to stay on this matter and get it resolved. We promised we would try (nothing more) and left him for now, returning to the Temple to meet with the three new possible recruits waiting there.

It did not go well.

There was Curufin a wood elven thief from Woodhelven who did not seem to have most regard for the group. There was a mutilated high elven warrior who has been living with the barbarian tribes in the Beastly Hills named Erd who was questioning the leadership fortitude. And there was Encrinus the Halfling, slinger and confident to the point of pushy – already assuming he was a part of the party and was handling the introductions between the party and the two possible recruits.

It sort of drifted off center when there was talk of a provisional charter where the three potential newbies would act on the party’s behalf to “clear the estates” and maybe check out the Griffanus house. Things were tense and we managed to shelf the idea for now until the next day.

As for our plan? We need everyone to spend some time at the Hospice to heal up. We had to handle the loss of the hirelings as well as our own people. And we needed help – so hiring more locals might be the way to go – but it was more radical if we go back to Dairymeade and present it to the bandits and Master Freebard that we had sent there a week ago. Shortly speaking – come back and help us.