The group was doing their version of a hex crawl, looking for any of three kobold lairs and warrens. Instead of branching out and looking forever, they had a decent plan to follow any kobolds who showed themselves back to their lair.
The kobolds who did show outpaced the group but they had a heading and direction to go and are following the crumbs to the first lair. Not their yet, at a former orcish lake house about half way to their destination and crawling about the joint.
We'll see them (hopefully!) at the lair next week and then see how they do against the K'Morat warriors in the area.
Write up follows:
The party slept well and we awoke the next morning by 7. After going to the Mess hall and breaking our fast, we had the opportunity to talk with Ruhilhd, the fat dwarven head cook for the Base Camp. After figuring out who we were, he promised to have some extra food prepared for us to take on our trip, at least enough for today plus something for an additional day. He even promised Negan a third day just in case since the half-ogre flat out inquired about it.
We readied ourselves for our trip out and by 8:30 or so, the runners for the Randari Rangers had returned to Base Camp and gave the harvesters direction on where to go to get today’s potential crop of Firvin’s Cap (roughly just under 2 hours distance). Thiklish, the Halfling leader of the harvesters, was unsure of taking Barb and wanted to make sure from the Reeve that it was ok since the half-orc barbarian was until recently a member of the rangers. After getting the green light, the entire group of 19; 10 harvesters and 9 members of the party, left the Base Camp amidst many members of the harvesters chatting incessantly about the benefits of Baldur and why he’s most likely the best of all the gods.
Every ¼ mile from camp, we followed whatever directions and blaze markings had been given to us, finding the next member of the Randari Rangers who directed us further which way to go and then headed down the slope of Furtham’s Peak to the Base Camp. Quickly we reached 2, then 3,000 feet in height. The friendly banter had faded as we travelled upslope, west and southwest from Base Camp. The fir trees in the area were still towering at 100’ feet in height but as we climbed in altitude, their majestic heights were shrinking and the number of bushes and smaller hardier growths were increasing.
By 11we had arrived at over 4,500 feet in height and about 2 miles from Base Camp. Hornes and Spunifer were on hand here to meet us, the final members of the Randari Rangers. There were 8 possible Firvin’s Caps to harvest covering an area about 100 yards square. They had seen no sign of any K’Morat so far and wished us well, looking forward to seeing us back in camp later on this afternoon.
Thiklish was thrilled for the possibility of 8 Caps to harvest; it’s been over a week since they had that option and over 40 days since they’ve been able to bring that much in at a single harvesting. They set to immediately, splitting into two groups to work on the 2’+ tall fungi while the party spread out and surrounded the harvesters in the efforts.
Within 45 minutes they had collected their first specimen and a few minutes later were done with the second. They were sealed in clay jars with wax and paper, laid aside and the harvesters hit the next two mushrooms. The group still kept their eyes peeled. At one point a griffin was winging its way overhead searching, and then headed back the way it came. And still we kept eyes peeled.
Third, Fourth, then a break for lunch, then fifth, and finally 6th Firvin’s Cap was harvested. As the groups were hitting the 7th and 8th and the hour was encroaching past three, Negan and Avulstein’s keen eye picked up some movement in some of the underbrush to the south of the group. The necromancer immediately sent Frank, the undead zombie bobcat (can’t make this stuff up!!), to investigate. As it drew closer two javelins hit the undead from the front, stopping it, and then two more hit it from the side, rocking it left and right.
A group of K’Morat Warriors (8? 12?) drew themselves up and seeing the party begin to give chase started fleeing downhill and southwest of the harvesters. Barb, Avulstein, Negan, Darius, and Connal all broke into a run, the rest of the group staying behind the ward the harvesters in case more K’Morat were in the area.
We charged downhill, eating up ground with a loping gait as we chased after the K’Morat warriors, the kobolds yipping, thrashing, and bouncing down slope at breakneck speeds. We charged hard and even though Barb and Connal could have gone faster, they opted to stay with the rest of the group as the kobolds drew further and further ahead, eventually lost from our direct sight in the thick growth of the back side of Furtham’s Peak.
As our breathing getting labored and we had lost sight of our quarry, we slowed down and then came to a stop after 8 minutes of running through thick mountainous terrain. This wasn’t going to work. So we talked about our options and decided to go back to the harvesters for now, and then tomorrow come back to this area (Barb was confident she could get us here) and pick up the trail of the K’Morat early on. We could see down the slope to some mountain lake here that seemed to be where the kobolds were heading. Was as good of a plan as anything else.
It took the group almost a half hour to get back upslope to the harvesters who were finishing up their efforts. No other K’Morat had come by and by 4 we had 8 clay jars, 10 happy harvesters, and 9 party members heading back downslope and this time east northeast to Base Camp far below.
It was pretty quiet for us, with only a pair of giant owls making their presence know (actually dipping down to snag a deer and then take flight again). We arrived at Base Camp at almost 7, the sun was heading down and everyone was pretty worn out. But the Bailiff and Reeve came out along with 30 odd members of the Camp and watched as the two Illytch Alchemists tested each of the 8 jars and their contents…declaring them all prime specimens of Firvin’s Cap. This was a good thing and a big boon – 40 odd days since they’ve been able to bring that much down and without issue.
We rested up after eating, Ruhilhd once again promising us even more prepared food tomorrow now that he knew what was needed. The group got a good night in and we awoke the next morning on Firemonth the 7th ready to head back to the Southwest side of the Peak and track the kobolds.
It was raining. And hard. Visibility was reduced and the cloud cover was at 1,000 feet – meaning getting back to the place Barb had marked was going to be in 10’ visibility and no use to us. Plus, the K’Morat trail through the undergrowth would be muted over the day. We talked about options and decided to head out anyway. There was a ridge line that ran down Furtham’s Peak to the South to the next mountain, and even though the area was shrouded in clouds, Barb felt she could get us to the area of the lake and we could then pick up the trail hopefully of the K’Morat.
We left Base Camp at 8:30, again the same 5 members of the group who gave chase yesterday, while Thalin, Wolfskar, Merica, and Dizzy would go out with the harvesters to ward them. It was slow going and as we climbed higher and higher south and west of the Base Camp, circling the Peak, visibility dropped to 10’ tops and we were soaked through and to the skin. The baladrana’s kept the worst of the rain off but the moisture crept in anyway as we slogged unseeingly uphill.
At some point we crested over the ridge and started heading down. Barb kept turning the group a bit to the right as we travelled, keeping the mountain on our right side up slope as we travelled along. Finally around 11:30 we emerged from the cloud cover and were on the opposite side of Furtham’s Peak – with the mountain lake very visible some 1,000 feet below us through the trees. Good job, Barb.
We slogged down the mountain until we arrived at the foothill. Pushing our way through the increasingly muddy ground we came to the shores of the lake. It was oval in shaped, narrower to the north than the south, perhaps a mile and a third one way by a half mile the other. We wanted to pick up the K’Morat trail so started to walk counterclockwise along the lake where we were on the east side, heading uphill to get out of the mud and have a better view of the land, eyes peeled for the wide swath of flattened brush and disturbed needles we had seen the kobold’s leave as we chased them.
Before 1 we came upon their trail and followed it towards the lake shore again where we noted it ended at the water’s edge. Besides countless kobolds foot prints in the mud, there were also two long deep furrows in the mud, some 10-15’ long and ran straight out of the lake. Canoes? Boats? The K’Morat crossed the lake as opposed to running around it.
We could barely see across the lake in all the rain and decided to circle it and try to pick up the trail on the other side. As we walked we ate from our backs and kept our spirits up as the occasional crack of thunder sounded from the storm overhead. After a bit over a half hour of miserable walking we came to the opposite side of the lake where we saw a two story stone building situated right on the water’s edge, leaning slightly towards the lake itself. Two dugout canoes were here, each one dragged up on the shore some 15’ and left there, more foot prints around them. The trail then continued off to the southwest from here – but less defined and hastily made in appearance.
We decided to check out the building first in case any K’Morat were there. We approached slowly, emerging from the tree line with eyes peeled and weapons out. The building’s chimney had fallen away some time ago, leaving only a discolored section of the outer wall and a hole in the surface. There were no windows on the lower floor, and only a few smaller ones on the 2nd floor, each one was perhaps 1’ x 1’ tops.
At the building we heard nothing inside but wanted to look in. The entire structure was leaning towards the lake at 5 to 10 degree angle, the foundation stones closer to the lake either crumbled away of subsumed in the mud over time. Avulstein’s clawed feet were helpful for the wolverine to climb his way to the 2nd floor and peer in. It was some sort of moldy bedroom with a bed and a chest of drawers. Whatever glass was once in the windows had been busted out years ago. He came back down and let us know what he saw.
We went to the door, weapons ready, and pushed it open. Revealed ruins of a sitting room that took up half the building’s main floor. Moldy remains of a couch, busted table and some chairs, two doorways that lead elsewhere, other brick a brac, and a fire scorched area where the K’Morat most likely sat and kept warm and or ate. We checked it out, some bone fragments; one might even be orcish, everything wat damp and water logged. Two doors led to a room partially filled in the corner with lake water and the other had a fireplace, rotten chairs, and a set of wooden stairs heading up.
Frank was sent to prance in the water, nothing happened – perhaps 7” deep at best. Talk was to look upstairs so Avulstein sent Frank up and halfway up, the zombie bobcat slipped through two busted steps and fell to the floor. Ok, needed light and sure footed. Connal went up, balancing left and right on the stair frame, holding the wall and proceeding as carefully as he could.
On the second floor heard more water falling (drip drip drip), sitting room, two wing backed chairs soaked and puffy, leaning round table between them. Doorway to the right and to the south, no frames, just openings. He looked south, same bedroom Avulstein had seen, mold was partially up the walls. Faint vinegar scent to the air.
Avulstein came up, Negan lifting the wolverine past the broken section of the steps, and then doing the same for Frank the bobcat. Connal did find a number of chess pieces in the sitting room under the table – every white piece from the back row except the queen. He took them, finding no others.
Avulstein sent Frank into the bedroom he had seen and had it approach the bed and then climb on. The mattress was sodden, wet, and shredded under the bobcat’s weight. Within moments a black mass of rotten hay and feathers had soaked the bobcat who came off the mattress and back to Avulstein, the goo just dripping off of it. Gross. He then sent the bobcat into the next room to explore and look around and then return.
When Frank went through the frame, Connal and Avulstein heard a wet splattering sound and then something hit the floor. The necromancer was calling for Frank to return and we heard something dragging its way towards us. Slowly, Frank emerged, ¾ of the zombie was covering a thick olive green slimy mass that was oozing its way up and over his head and two front paws that were still dragging him closer. Avulstein ordered the zombie to stop and the two friends watched in horror as the slime worked up over Frank’s head and face and then his paws, totally covering him. The vinegar scent was frenetic now and within a few minutes tops the slime, no longer having the outline of the bobcat, moved towards the door frame and pulled itself UP, taking almost 5-6 minutes to crawl up the frame and onto the ceiling of the room Frank had died in.
Connal and Avulstein came back downstairs, and the party discussed what the fuck that was and should we stay or go. Darius let us know it took 3 hours to get here and if we wanted to get back to Base Camp, we should be leaving about 3:30 – it was already about quarter to 3. If we stay, do we set up a trap for K’Morat who might come in? Do we try to go upstairs? Not? Are we closer to the K’Morat lair if we stay out here? There was much discussion but the consensus was to stay here for now.
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