There was some wrap up on the 2nd where we did character advancement for those that went up, and the same for the 9th. So the actual game play was lots of Larping and lots of bookkeeping, mixed in with some moving along.
The biggest takeaway was the shelving of the main party's characters and the assumption of what has been affectionately referred to as "the B team". At character creation, everyone rolled up two characters and the assumption was they would bounce them back and forth, try them out, and by the time we arrived at the Terror Dungeon, we'd each have a decent roster to choose from for delving purposes.
What happened though was everyone falling in love with one character and staying with them except for a little dabbling here and there. Since everyone is going up though, this is an opportunity for the B team to do their thing and try it out. But it's a 2 level swing down for most everyone and there is some growing pain as they realize how woefully ill prepared the B team is for their time out in the world.
Write up follows:
The party arrived eventually back at camp where we spent some time catching the Bailiff and the Reeve up on what happened at the warren as well as the subsequent issues with Girgym, Lysil, and Dunatis. They were stunned and a moratorium was placed on wandering the lands after nightfall unless at the utmost necessity. The Bailiff was pressing the party if they could arrange a meeting between Dunatis and his circle and orcs and the House Illytch representatives for a mutual beneficence but it was explained at length that the druid wanted nothing from us and was offering nothing in return.
We then caught the rest of the party up on what happened and the decision was that with one warren down, it would be a good time for half the party to return to Sorton and train while the other half stayed and helped in watching the harvesters and possibly hunt down the next warren.
The caravan arrived on the 15th early in the afternoon and besides the normal accoutrements and supplies, there were two people: a dwarven cavalier named Lieutenant Hjalgrim Jarlborrin (yes, THAT Jarlborrin – related to the High Thane herself), and a Halfling thief and bundle of giggles named Sybil. It turns out that House Illytch had been offered a sizable sum (43 CROWNS) to hire and send Hjalgrim and his friend out to the Base Camp and add them to the roster. There was some push back from the party but it described as a fait accompli situation and since we were not fielding a team of 12 – House Illytch could either reduce our pay or we could accept these 2 new members with little complaint.
We took the 2nd choice. Darius and Hjalgrim knew one another, and it appeared that Darius was happy not to deal with Hjalgrim as he was heading back to Sorton. Connal followed, and then Negan – no one wanted to stay and talk to the dwarven cavalier – so he had a captured audience with the half of the group staying behind – which was now: Dizzy, Merica, Thalin, Hjalgrim, and Sybil – with Einar still nursing his way out of his illness and Bobkins as a possible fill in should we be REALLY really desperate.
Donna Duncarian came and spoke with the group, catching the new members up with what has gone on to date so far. As for K’Morat kobolds, there was been no sightings for the last 2 days; ever since the first warren had been destroyed. We do not know if the warrens do communicate but it seems they might since the other two tribes haven’t approached the Base Camp or the harvesters for 2 days. As to whether this was a reprieve or some longer impact of time, we had no way of knowing yet.
Hornes and Spunifer came to us next, Hjalgrim flat out telling the orcish leader that he looked foolish with the antlered helm. He did agree that Barb was most likely a bitch and we talked about the kobold signs and / or lack of them. After getting our fill from the Randari Rangers, we discussed our options and plans.
Referring to the map, there is a clearing and bend in the river a few miles upstream from here. After we go and guard the Harvesters, the party would take a trip to this area, see if the river could be forded here, and then follow the Enderlyn back to the Base Camp.
The morning of the 16th was cool and crisp, and we joined Thiklish (who Hjalgrim rankled immediately the wrong way) and her Harvesters up Furtham’s Peak to the 5,000 foot mark along the northern slope where a patch of 5 Firvin’s Cap mushrooms had been located. While the Harvesters did their job, they stayed local and looked for any trouble or kobold-sign. Dizzy and Sybil were walking picket in an ever widening circle, crossing each other’s path many times to make sure they didn’t miss anything.
Nothing. No kobolds and no sign of them. Three days of nothing.
By 12:15 we were back at Base Camp, dropping the Harvesters off. The group of 5 of us went back out, heading north, northwest and getting promptly lost in the dense woods and slopes of the northern ridges. We pushed out for the highest elevation we could find, learned we had ventured some 2 miles off course, and then bee lined it down slope and in the direction of the glittering silver band of the river.
We were shadowed by wolves, and although we had been briefed by the rest of the party about Dunatis, the wolves didn’t come close and neither did they try to communicate with us. We eventually left them behind and made our way to the water’s edge. Sure enough, the river had narrowed here but even at 80’ or so, it was moving at a rapid pace and we didn’t think it was fordable at this point. Further down river it turned more to the south and widened out, so we figured we’d follow the Enderlyn and see if there was a fordable place over there.
But we had not accounted for the time and the light grew dim as the sun dipped behind the mountain peaks. While walking we were instructed by orcish voices to stop and were charged a stipend of 26 nobles per person to continue on our way. There were over a dozen orcs in the woods here, armed with various bows and we assume other weaponry but we just COULDN’T SE ETHEM! Ugh.
Very begrudgingly we paid the toll and continued on, stumbling in the gathering gloom until we arrived at the walls of Base Camp by 7:30ish. Once within, we went to the Mess hall and got something to eat and drink, Hjalgrim talking a shower and then joining us with his slippers and pipe. Slippers? Who was this guy?
Ok, we know our limits and wandering the wilderness with no direction was not a good choice for us. The decision was that for the next we days, we go out with the Harvesters as normal and see if any K’Morat make their presence known. We would be vigilant and hyper-aware, knowing that even though we couldn’t see them, we knew in our hearts they were out there waiting.
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