So the youth’s met again, and continued their VERY SLOW crawl along the upper rooms of the mansion. I mean very slow. Not that I want them to race through, but there is a lot of cross talk and laughing – which is great! But I can see two of the party members are getting frustrated that the opposite end of the table is chattier and fluff than focus and crunch.
I’m the impartial neutral DM, and I’ll go as fast or as slow as they want – but I keep a ready eye on the clock and it ticks ticks ticks endlessly – which the game isn’t. Ends on time each time at 9:30 on the dot.
But, they did get to meet Ned Shakeshaft, a poor wanna-be adventurer who had seen a light in the window at night and while exploring the area, got coshed on the noggin, robbed, and tied up and dumped in an upstairs bedroom with naught but his underwear and a lump on his head. He’s already endeared himself to 3 members of the party and is just being an all around helpful and respectful sort of guy.
Write up follows:
Magnus was willing to go in, but Talion offered to enter first. Deja was not happy, hated the webs, but was willing to enter after the ranger, which had our paladin taking up the rear. They inched their way towards the fireplace with exaggerated care while Valerie guarded the hall and Veldryn was fingering her holy symbol. Concern for the ever present spiders, she called on Hel and centered her will on the fireplace area, asking to let her know if there was any poison in the area.
And a section of the fireplace lit up with green sparks. Which made a spider leg the side of Magnus’ forearm come out of the flue and feel around before retracting. Big, Fricking, Spider.
It was time to step back and out of the room when Talion saw something out of the corner of his eye and another Big, Fricking, Spider, the size of a German Shepherd, jumped out of the webs to his left, landed on his chest, and tried to bite him, only getting hung up on his armor.
The one in the fireplace dropped down and went to scamper towards the party while the one on Talion, the ranger tried to peel backwards and stab with a dagger, succeeding only in getting more bites on his wrist, his greaves taking the blow. Deja let two daggers fly at the scampering spider, “Not Talion!” she cried, one of them sinking deep into the arachnid’s carapace. Who then reached up with a long leg and flicked the knife free. WTF?!?
Magnus tried to hold it off with his scimitar while Valerie lumbered into the room and the half-orc grabbed the spider off of Talion’s chest and went to crush it. It turned and bit her, and she slumped over, eyes rolling up, and fell down, dropping the spider. Veldryn hoped to blind it and called on Hel to light the spider up, having it radiate! Unable to see, it spun around squealing and hopping mad, eventually bumping into Valerie and assuming her to be an enemy bit her again, injecting her with more poison. The other spider made to lunge and Deja who screamed and ran out of the room to Veldryn who tried to get the Halfling thief to calm down.
The spider instead turned to Talion and clawed at his leg, sinking its fangs into his calf, and the ranger cursed as he slipped over and dropped from consciousness. Magnus braced the spider with a wide stance and calling it an infidel, hacked it three times with his curved blade, splitting the beast in half and ending its assault.
The second spider with the light spell also bit Talion again as it bumped into him reflexively, and then backed up, following the walls of the room until it arrived at the corner. It then tried to climb up backwards and blind. Deja was mastering her fears, pulled out tow more daggers, entered the room, and hurled them both…both striking. The oversized menace was badly hurt and bleeding when Magnus ran up to it and hacked down, killing the spider at long last.
We closed the door and looked over the two friends unconscious. They were sleeping and twitching a bit. The consensus was that we had two antidote ampoules but since this was somnolent poison, we should let it run its course and save the antidotes for another, more dangerous time. So time passed. The glinting in the fireplace turned out to be a piece of fractured Gypsum crystal, seemingly useless but we kept it. The hours passed and Veldryn continued to read her books when we heard noises coming from somewhere else in the wing. Moaning and then a few thuds like someone moving.
Deja and Magnus went to investigate while Veldryn stayed in the room with their friends. The approached the first door and carefully, the Halfling opened it. It was the remains of a dilapidated bedroom with the floor sagging and even missing a few slats in it. The noises were coming from the last chamber and we also heard a few moans of muffled sounding, “Help me,” and “Anyone, please?”
Deja opened the room after swiftly unlocking the lock and with the paladin right behind looked in. Another bedroom and in the corner, tied up and gagged near the remains of an old bed was a man in his 30’s clad only in his underwear and looking around fearfully. They undid his gag and he thanked Deja (called her Lady Deja) for her help, eventually getting his other bonds cut. Said his name was Ned Shakeshaft, a wannabe adventurer from Seaton who was on his way to Saltmarsh to look for work. He had travelled too late and saw lights in the windows of the house. So he had crept up to look around and was knocked on the head last night, waking up only a short while ago missing all his gear and dumped here.
He was cut free and leaning on Deja, was making his way back to the room when his legs gave out and he had to stop near the fireplace and catch his breath. Eventually he felt better and the two friends helped bring him back to the 1st chamber where he greeted Veldryn in Elvish, but knew no other elvish but the first greeting. He also had heard of Magnus, the paladin from Karon. He saw the 2 spiders and seemed to expertly know how to find the poison ducts. When questioned about him, he identified the 2 spiders by class and genus and let the group know that he had been apprenticed to a zoologist in his youth for a few years and had a distant love for animals.
He did say that the friends would probably be out for a few hours tops. Not having a way to defend himself he asked for some aid and Deja lent him one of her many daggers. By this time Valerie and Talion were waking up and we helped them up, filling them in on what happened. The Half-orc was most taken with Ned who was respectful and flattering to the druidess. He also made sure to call Talion Lord Talion and deferred to his leadership.
We ate lunch, Valerie sharing her food with Ned, the two of them staring happily at one another. We talked about going downstairs and Ned did say the place was haunted and we should probably check out up here first. Most everyone agreed and the decision was made to clear out the rest of the top floor. He also hoped that if it got too late, we should head back to town instead of risking staying out here.
He had skill with a blade as evidenced when he helped Veldryn get her sword back, putting the long blade through some paces, and did ask for some pants with Valerie offered hers with a blush and even though he thanked her for “getting into her pants” he was too much of a gentlemen to do it and instead borrowed a pair from Magnus.
We were ready to explore some more when Deja wanted to look over the middle bedroom a bit more. Veldryn went with him and the two of them gave the place a serious once over. The thief did note booted prints in the dirt and grit on the floor, heading to the window and back many times. The two friends checked it out and besides telling that someone had knelt here as well, there were scratches on the windowsill that looked like they came from a lantern base.
After returning to the hall and telling the group what they say, Ned was wondering if it were spirits but was told spirits didn’t wear shoes. Deja suspected it was a guy, or guys, who were doing it, but the thought was the place was still haunted and we should not rule any idea out. Then the conversation turned to the former mansion owner and his fascination with crafting a potion of human control. That’s when it was finally revealed that Talion and Veldryn were interested in finding such a potion or at least a successful recipe for it…and Deja, Magnus, and Ned were not. Valerie wanted little to do with the conversation and went further down the hall, sitting by the balcony and just looking out.
The words got heated but until we could even find such a thing, the decision was to shelve the conversation for now and worry about only if the situation came up.
We looked down the two remaining wings and Deja and Valerie thought it prudent to go west first. There were two doors here and after checking the first one, we opened it up to show a dressing room with a large cupboard on the west wall which had the two friends look at one another and shudder – remembering the fiasco in the kitchen yesterday and the falling cabinet.
Sunday, January 21, 2018
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Meet 36, Adv 4.1, 1/13/17
I play an adult game, meaning there is the attempt to have a mix of races and sexes in my game, and that means there will be prejudices, racism, sexism, sexual situations, possible illegal narcotics, and other mature points that don't get hand waved, brushed over, or softshoed. I don't plan on them, but it does happen.
This meeting was one of them where through some weird wandering monster checks followed by an astronomically remote reaction check and subsequent attraction check had one of the party members pretty much become the masturbatory plaything of an amorous 11' hill giantess. We could have avoided it, but the druid had his heart set on a carnivorous sheep (don't ask) and the primrose path led us to this situation.
It makes sense. Sort of. Either way, I laughed my ass off.
Write up follows:
At this time, Einar had approached Dizzy and informed the cleric that he was not looking forward to being left behind for this. The Randarbane poisoning he had contracted almost 3 weeks ago had run its course and the erstwhile member of the party was anxious to get out there and add his efforts to the cause. This was a good thing for us since we would not only have an experienced wilderness person to take us out to the area we expected to uncover the K’Morat Warren, but we would not have to worry about him leaving us afterwards.
We gathered up our belongings, split up what gear was needed, and went over the plan once again. Head up the Enderlyn River staying on the west side for roughly a day and a half until we arrived at the area marked off as a clear area some 3 plus miles wide roughly east and north of Long Ridge Mountain. From there we would look for signs, trails, notes, or anything else that would help us narrow down our search for the Warren. We expected to be out many days and everyone had 5 or so days of food on us for now.
By 12 we had let Hornes and the rest of the Randari know that they do not have to come with us. We promised Hornes to bring at least one of the K’Morat back with us. Alive, feet optional please.
We left the camp and in the warm mid to late summer sun, started making excellent time along the grassy shores of the Enderlyn River. The waterway meandered north from Base Camp, running at a good 4 miles per hour, widening and narrowing as the land dictated but staying over 150’ wide in many places. Eventually we came around the foothills that we had travelled to before and the trip turned more of a northwesterly run as we travelled on.
By 5:30 we found a decent place to camp, a fire was forgone for now, and after eating and setting up the tent we organized a watch (Merica not needing to take a turn this first day out) and then took turns. Dizzy, Hjalgrim, Sybil, Thalin, and then Einar – no issues, no problem. The next day was Firemonth the 20th and it was cooler today, the crisp mountain air promising low 60’s at best and the heavy cloud cover blocking most direct sun for the trip ahead. By 7 AM we were off and ready to arrive at our destination later today depending on how the trip went.
By 8:30 we had arrived at an area where the range itself drew close to the river, making a steep sloped area on this side of the river where erosion had stripped the soil away and what few trees grew here were poorly rooted to the side of the steep slope. A number of small falls and rapids dictated almost 1,000 feet of the Enderlyn’s stretch. Einar flat out said he felt very uncomfortable leading the group up along the shore line here. Unlike the other 2 falls we had traversed on the way to Base Camp from Sorton, this one was not cut and shaped but was still raw and wild. Too great of a chance for someone to slip and either get hurt and/or fall into the Enderlyn and be swept away.
So even though it would add time to our trip, the decision was to back track a quarter mile, find passage up and over the ridge line close to here but NOT near the river, and then come down on the other side and continue on our trip.
We managed to work our way up the steep slope, in many places hitting over 50 degrees of incline. Hjalgrim and his manservant, Percy, were in the rear when a section of ground gave way beneath them and they slipped, fell, slid, rolled, and careened down almost 150’ before coming to a stop near a series of tight Douglas firs. They were pretty battered up but Hjlagrim seemed to shrug it off after Percy helped him to his feet. With extra care we continued on and them came down the other side and by 11:30, were heading back north towards the river and then west once more.
As we came to the edge of the larger clear area with 3’ meadow grass and countless copses of trees we did note in the distance 2 figures striding along near the banks of the Enderlyn and coming in this direction with a swagger that belied they had little worry. We could tell they were tall and gangly, but at a mile, could make out no other details for now. So we hid behind the closest copses, relying on the thick trunks and tall grasses to hide us and waited.
Eventually the duo closed enough for us to see they were hill trolls; over 8’ tall, wrinkled mottled baggy skin, dark hair, walking with an exaggerated gait. There were two ropes trailing into the river and they were dragging it slow while one of them was bitching to the other one. Dizzy who was able to understand and speak troll took to listening in and translating for us. Seems they were hungry, always hungry lately. Their tribe had gotten their ass kicked 2 months or so ago by a local kobold tribe and their chief had been taken during the fight, the other trolls killed and burned – only these two managed to survive and escape. There was talk about going back and attacking the now much weaker tribe but the smarter one of the two dismissed it saying that even with the reduced numbers, there were more than enough kobolds to take out the two trolls.
They went out of sight, heading towards the east and following the river. Dragging a fishing net they had been reduced to gathering their food and Dizzy suggested we avoid them and the river for now. We headed almost due west from here and eventually ended up where we wanted to arrive on the map, looking around us. South and west was the towering line of the Long Ridge Range, south was a smaller peak and ridge. North led to the Enderlyn River and there was no sign of kobolds or their warren.
Einar called on Frey to speak with some animals and got into a conversation with some finches. Best he could understand was on the other side of the mountain were taller enemies (Giants? Trolls? Ogres?) and maybe the kobolds. But there was also a rock drake that flew about looking for smaller or single foes to assault. Best way to avoid it was to go through the tunnel. Tunnel? There is supposedly a tunnel running UNDER the Long Ridge Range that the finches occasionally dare when they are having bravery contests. It would allow us to bypass the rock drake.
We decided to head south from here, go over the smaller range and peak, and then hopefully before the sun sets too much, establish a camp on the other side at the mountain base and look for the tunnel in the morning. The trip up was tiring and the slope was dangerously steep, many of us sliding and struggling to make the ascendance. Once more Hjalgrim and Percy slipped, Sybil joining them as the three of them rolled and scratched and scrambled eventually to a stop. Healing was doled out and even though it was going to take time, the decision was to rope everyone together with Merica in the back and Einar in the front.
The trip continued on and the sun was setting as we went down the steep slope on the other side of the ridge. There were three mountains that made a “V” shaped valley here and we settled in for a long night, the party splitting up into watches with Dizzy taking the first. Aching and tired, the group fell asleep.
Not very long into the dark night of Dizzy’s watch, he heard heavy treads in the forest wandering about and then getting closer. He stayed alert and calm, looking carefully until his infravision picked up an 11’ tall bipedal humanoid figure standing not too far away and grunting at him in a voice that sounded like rocks grinding against one another. Since Dizzy spoke Giant, he was able to tell that it was a Hill Giant, a giantess actually, and her name was Narnul. She wanted to know what was going on, who he was, what the group was doing here, and what was up.
Seemingly completely incapable of doing ANYTHING regarding a giant, Dizzy stayed calm and spoke at length to Narnul. He did drop his crossbow when she asked and eventually she came closer. Her clothing was poorly cured hides and she was holding a 7’ long tree complete with a knobby root ball. She sat down and then had a conversation with Dizzy, willing to “keep watch with him” and the dwarven cleric/thief just did his best to stay calm.
When it was time to awaken Merica, Dizzy decided completely against it since the taciturn dwarf was not known for decorum, tact, or courtesy. Instead he stayed awake through the next watch and hoped Narnul would get bored and go away.
That didn’t happen and she continued to chitchat, her voice carrying through the night air. Which then attracted ANOTHER figure, this one a bit over 10’ tall, waxy dark lumpy skin, holding a large torch, wearing a woolen dress, and sporting a single eye. A Cyclops. And she knew Narnul, calling her a bitch, at which Narnul told her to relax. The Cyclops was named Dinka and she lived near here. Complained that the talking was keeping her sheep up and since we were already up and here, might as well join her at her keep.
The rest of the party was now up and there were serious concerns amongst everyone – a hill giant and a Cyclops?! We had little choice we felt and opted to go with the two of them to the remains of a Randari Keep not more than a few hundred yards from where the party was camping. One of the guard towers was still standing and Dinka had erected a ¼ acre pen around the back where half a dozen 200 lb larger than normal sheep were milling about. They looked big, ferocious, and when we got close enough, they had freaking canines mixed in with their herbivorous teeth.
Einar was intrigued and we went up to the 2nd floor with Dinka and Narnul. We were told we could sleep here and when it was talked about Einar getting a sheep, a complex deal was made where Narnul would pay Dinka for one of the sheep and she would give it to Dizzy who could then give it to Einar. For a price. Like two days of pleasure with the giantess. Dizzy balked but Narnul was not in a listening mood and the deal was assumed to be “done”. Dinka gave Narnul to use of one of the rooms with a door on it and told her to “have fun.”
Dizzy was taken into the room, made to strip while Narnul did the same. She was large, pendulous, hairy, and had a aroma about her that was not pleasing. She didn’t seem to want to use Dizzy carnally and didn’t care about his pleasure; she instead wanted to use him as a living doll to pleasure herself and before Dizzy knew what was happening, he was dragged forward and pressed against her damp fleshy folds where his struggles served to excite Narnul in what was to be almost 40 eventual hours of for one of the two, a traumatic filthy, stinking, sticky, irritating experience.
The rest of the party eventually tried to ignore the non-consensual erotic noises coming from behind the door and fell into a rough and disturbed sleep, Dinka having gone upstairs to her own chamber. When we awoke the next day, Dizzy and Narnul were still going at it after some periods of rest, the dwarven cleric managing to attract Sybil attention through the door, asking the Halfling thief to find him "a bucket please, for water, and quick!"
Sybil wandered into the next chamber which Dinka had repurposed as a meat hanger. Bodies of kobolds, wolves, even what seemed to be gnome, were hanging here, slit open and drained/draining of blood. Some buckets, but nothing she could use. So she went upstairs. Larger central chamber and one closed room which she could see Dinka was sitting on her bed and combing her hair. She asked the Cyclops for some water and was eventually directed to the room in the corner on this floor.
There was an oversized spinning wheel here, lots of partially spun fleece, and 4 huge skeins of it on shelves leaning on the wall. But there were two metal gallon buckets here as well as a bent pipe from the ceiling that led to a cistern on the roof. She was short and couldn’t reach so dragged a 3 legged stool over, positioned the two buckets a few feet from the end of the pipe, stood on the stool and worked the hand sized cork out of the bent 1 ½” pipe.
Water flowed out at a fast pace, splashing into one bucket and then filling the other. The water went to the top and Sybil reached up to shove the cork back in place. But she lost her footing a bit and the cork was blown out of her grasp where it flew across the room and was lost in the fleece. She scrambled over there while water continued to come out of the pipe and overflow the bucket, run along the floor, and start to rain through the cracks in the mortar stone to the room below (where Dizzy looked at the water coming through the ceiling and was trying to wash the “stink” off of himself but Narnul wanted to do the same and she ended up using him a bit like a sponge.).
Not wanting to piss off the Cyclops host, Sybil climbed back up on the stool, reached up and held the pipe in one hand, and then took off her shirt and holding it wadded it, jammed it in the hole with her right hand. The flow of water lessened, but it was not a perfect fit and it was squirting out under high pressure raining about the Halfling who was now soaked to the skin. Deciding more clothes were needed, she let go of the pipe with her left hand, picked her glove off with her teeth, and then jammed THAT in the hole along with the shirt. Still going, but not perfect.
At this point she had jammed her right hand pretty far into the pipe and was reaching down with her left to undo her pants, letting them fall to her booted feet. But two things happened, her glove still on her hand was swelling up with water and now her hand was stuck in the pipe while water STILL rained down on her…and the stool she was standing on fell over from her gyrations in her attempt to kick her pants off and she was hanging there by one hand stuck in a water pipe, soaked to the skin, pants around her ankle, suspended a bit over 2’ off the ground.
It was time to call for help. She yelled for Dinka who came in and saw Sybil in her predicament and wanted to know WHY!?!? No real answer could explain the halfling’s situation so she was just helped free and Dinka told her to take the buckets and go while she plugged up the pipe with the now found cork. Sybil tied her sopping pants back into place and taking both buckets, went down the steps to the party.
Most of them were happy to see her with the buckets of water and it was assumed that one was for them…so they took it. Meaning she took the half filled bucket to the door and knocked where Narnul opened it, thanked Sybil as she was getting thirsty, and went to shut it again…while Dizzy was looking at Sybil with shock and disgust and the Halfling gave the dwarf the thumbs up for her efforts. He never got to use it to clean himself and Narnul drank most of the water, giving him the dregs to swallow before once more using him for her satisfaction.
Eventually Dinka came down and returned Sybil’s clothes and we talked about the mountain, her clan, trolls, kobolds, and other matters. She was estranged from her clan for 3 years as many of the members thought the leader’s desire to befriend the local ogre clan was a bad one. The clan was to the west of the Eskerton Tunnel, many miles on the shores of what she called Broken City Lake.
As for kobolds, they were on the opposite side of the lake in the forest in an old keep. She understood the clan to be sizable (over 100 of them) and the shaman was respectful of her until recently. A new shaman, much younger, had been through the tunnels in the last few months and had shown a serious lack of respect for her, actually entering her tower (hence the dead kobolds).
We thanked Dinka for her information and she did let us know if we did manage to get to the Warren and ran across her tribe, let her mother know she was ok and was waiting on word that the current Cyclops chief was now overthrown so she could return home.
This meeting was one of them where through some weird wandering monster checks followed by an astronomically remote reaction check and subsequent attraction check had one of the party members pretty much become the masturbatory plaything of an amorous 11' hill giantess. We could have avoided it, but the druid had his heart set on a carnivorous sheep (don't ask) and the primrose path led us to this situation.
It makes sense. Sort of. Either way, I laughed my ass off.
Write up follows:
At this time, Einar had approached Dizzy and informed the cleric that he was not looking forward to being left behind for this. The Randarbane poisoning he had contracted almost 3 weeks ago had run its course and the erstwhile member of the party was anxious to get out there and add his efforts to the cause. This was a good thing for us since we would not only have an experienced wilderness person to take us out to the area we expected to uncover the K’Morat Warren, but we would not have to worry about him leaving us afterwards.
We gathered up our belongings, split up what gear was needed, and went over the plan once again. Head up the Enderlyn River staying on the west side for roughly a day and a half until we arrived at the area marked off as a clear area some 3 plus miles wide roughly east and north of Long Ridge Mountain. From there we would look for signs, trails, notes, or anything else that would help us narrow down our search for the Warren. We expected to be out many days and everyone had 5 or so days of food on us for now.
By 12 we had let Hornes and the rest of the Randari know that they do not have to come with us. We promised Hornes to bring at least one of the K’Morat back with us. Alive, feet optional please.
We left the camp and in the warm mid to late summer sun, started making excellent time along the grassy shores of the Enderlyn River. The waterway meandered north from Base Camp, running at a good 4 miles per hour, widening and narrowing as the land dictated but staying over 150’ wide in many places. Eventually we came around the foothills that we had travelled to before and the trip turned more of a northwesterly run as we travelled on.
By 5:30 we found a decent place to camp, a fire was forgone for now, and after eating and setting up the tent we organized a watch (Merica not needing to take a turn this first day out) and then took turns. Dizzy, Hjalgrim, Sybil, Thalin, and then Einar – no issues, no problem. The next day was Firemonth the 20th and it was cooler today, the crisp mountain air promising low 60’s at best and the heavy cloud cover blocking most direct sun for the trip ahead. By 7 AM we were off and ready to arrive at our destination later today depending on how the trip went.
By 8:30 we had arrived at an area where the range itself drew close to the river, making a steep sloped area on this side of the river where erosion had stripped the soil away and what few trees grew here were poorly rooted to the side of the steep slope. A number of small falls and rapids dictated almost 1,000 feet of the Enderlyn’s stretch. Einar flat out said he felt very uncomfortable leading the group up along the shore line here. Unlike the other 2 falls we had traversed on the way to Base Camp from Sorton, this one was not cut and shaped but was still raw and wild. Too great of a chance for someone to slip and either get hurt and/or fall into the Enderlyn and be swept away.
So even though it would add time to our trip, the decision was to back track a quarter mile, find passage up and over the ridge line close to here but NOT near the river, and then come down on the other side and continue on our trip.
We managed to work our way up the steep slope, in many places hitting over 50 degrees of incline. Hjalgrim and his manservant, Percy, were in the rear when a section of ground gave way beneath them and they slipped, fell, slid, rolled, and careened down almost 150’ before coming to a stop near a series of tight Douglas firs. They were pretty battered up but Hjlagrim seemed to shrug it off after Percy helped him to his feet. With extra care we continued on and them came down the other side and by 11:30, were heading back north towards the river and then west once more.
As we came to the edge of the larger clear area with 3’ meadow grass and countless copses of trees we did note in the distance 2 figures striding along near the banks of the Enderlyn and coming in this direction with a swagger that belied they had little worry. We could tell they were tall and gangly, but at a mile, could make out no other details for now. So we hid behind the closest copses, relying on the thick trunks and tall grasses to hide us and waited.
Eventually the duo closed enough for us to see they were hill trolls; over 8’ tall, wrinkled mottled baggy skin, dark hair, walking with an exaggerated gait. There were two ropes trailing into the river and they were dragging it slow while one of them was bitching to the other one. Dizzy who was able to understand and speak troll took to listening in and translating for us. Seems they were hungry, always hungry lately. Their tribe had gotten their ass kicked 2 months or so ago by a local kobold tribe and their chief had been taken during the fight, the other trolls killed and burned – only these two managed to survive and escape. There was talk about going back and attacking the now much weaker tribe but the smarter one of the two dismissed it saying that even with the reduced numbers, there were more than enough kobolds to take out the two trolls.
They went out of sight, heading towards the east and following the river. Dragging a fishing net they had been reduced to gathering their food and Dizzy suggested we avoid them and the river for now. We headed almost due west from here and eventually ended up where we wanted to arrive on the map, looking around us. South and west was the towering line of the Long Ridge Range, south was a smaller peak and ridge. North led to the Enderlyn River and there was no sign of kobolds or their warren.
Einar called on Frey to speak with some animals and got into a conversation with some finches. Best he could understand was on the other side of the mountain were taller enemies (Giants? Trolls? Ogres?) and maybe the kobolds. But there was also a rock drake that flew about looking for smaller or single foes to assault. Best way to avoid it was to go through the tunnel. Tunnel? There is supposedly a tunnel running UNDER the Long Ridge Range that the finches occasionally dare when they are having bravery contests. It would allow us to bypass the rock drake.
We decided to head south from here, go over the smaller range and peak, and then hopefully before the sun sets too much, establish a camp on the other side at the mountain base and look for the tunnel in the morning. The trip up was tiring and the slope was dangerously steep, many of us sliding and struggling to make the ascendance. Once more Hjalgrim and Percy slipped, Sybil joining them as the three of them rolled and scratched and scrambled eventually to a stop. Healing was doled out and even though it was going to take time, the decision was to rope everyone together with Merica in the back and Einar in the front.
The trip continued on and the sun was setting as we went down the steep slope on the other side of the ridge. There were three mountains that made a “V” shaped valley here and we settled in for a long night, the party splitting up into watches with Dizzy taking the first. Aching and tired, the group fell asleep.
Not very long into the dark night of Dizzy’s watch, he heard heavy treads in the forest wandering about and then getting closer. He stayed alert and calm, looking carefully until his infravision picked up an 11’ tall bipedal humanoid figure standing not too far away and grunting at him in a voice that sounded like rocks grinding against one another. Since Dizzy spoke Giant, he was able to tell that it was a Hill Giant, a giantess actually, and her name was Narnul. She wanted to know what was going on, who he was, what the group was doing here, and what was up.
Seemingly completely incapable of doing ANYTHING regarding a giant, Dizzy stayed calm and spoke at length to Narnul. He did drop his crossbow when she asked and eventually she came closer. Her clothing was poorly cured hides and she was holding a 7’ long tree complete with a knobby root ball. She sat down and then had a conversation with Dizzy, willing to “keep watch with him” and the dwarven cleric/thief just did his best to stay calm.
When it was time to awaken Merica, Dizzy decided completely against it since the taciturn dwarf was not known for decorum, tact, or courtesy. Instead he stayed awake through the next watch and hoped Narnul would get bored and go away.
That didn’t happen and she continued to chitchat, her voice carrying through the night air. Which then attracted ANOTHER figure, this one a bit over 10’ tall, waxy dark lumpy skin, holding a large torch, wearing a woolen dress, and sporting a single eye. A Cyclops. And she knew Narnul, calling her a bitch, at which Narnul told her to relax. The Cyclops was named Dinka and she lived near here. Complained that the talking was keeping her sheep up and since we were already up and here, might as well join her at her keep.
The rest of the party was now up and there were serious concerns amongst everyone – a hill giant and a Cyclops?! We had little choice we felt and opted to go with the two of them to the remains of a Randari Keep not more than a few hundred yards from where the party was camping. One of the guard towers was still standing and Dinka had erected a ¼ acre pen around the back where half a dozen 200 lb larger than normal sheep were milling about. They looked big, ferocious, and when we got close enough, they had freaking canines mixed in with their herbivorous teeth.
Einar was intrigued and we went up to the 2nd floor with Dinka and Narnul. We were told we could sleep here and when it was talked about Einar getting a sheep, a complex deal was made where Narnul would pay Dinka for one of the sheep and she would give it to Dizzy who could then give it to Einar. For a price. Like two days of pleasure with the giantess. Dizzy balked but Narnul was not in a listening mood and the deal was assumed to be “done”. Dinka gave Narnul to use of one of the rooms with a door on it and told her to “have fun.”
Dizzy was taken into the room, made to strip while Narnul did the same. She was large, pendulous, hairy, and had a aroma about her that was not pleasing. She didn’t seem to want to use Dizzy carnally and didn’t care about his pleasure; she instead wanted to use him as a living doll to pleasure herself and before Dizzy knew what was happening, he was dragged forward and pressed against her damp fleshy folds where his struggles served to excite Narnul in what was to be almost 40 eventual hours of for one of the two, a traumatic filthy, stinking, sticky, irritating experience.
The rest of the party eventually tried to ignore the non-consensual erotic noises coming from behind the door and fell into a rough and disturbed sleep, Dinka having gone upstairs to her own chamber. When we awoke the next day, Dizzy and Narnul were still going at it after some periods of rest, the dwarven cleric managing to attract Sybil attention through the door, asking the Halfling thief to find him "a bucket please, for water, and quick!"
Sybil wandered into the next chamber which Dinka had repurposed as a meat hanger. Bodies of kobolds, wolves, even what seemed to be gnome, were hanging here, slit open and drained/draining of blood. Some buckets, but nothing she could use. So she went upstairs. Larger central chamber and one closed room which she could see Dinka was sitting on her bed and combing her hair. She asked the Cyclops for some water and was eventually directed to the room in the corner on this floor.
There was an oversized spinning wheel here, lots of partially spun fleece, and 4 huge skeins of it on shelves leaning on the wall. But there were two metal gallon buckets here as well as a bent pipe from the ceiling that led to a cistern on the roof. She was short and couldn’t reach so dragged a 3 legged stool over, positioned the two buckets a few feet from the end of the pipe, stood on the stool and worked the hand sized cork out of the bent 1 ½” pipe.
Water flowed out at a fast pace, splashing into one bucket and then filling the other. The water went to the top and Sybil reached up to shove the cork back in place. But she lost her footing a bit and the cork was blown out of her grasp where it flew across the room and was lost in the fleece. She scrambled over there while water continued to come out of the pipe and overflow the bucket, run along the floor, and start to rain through the cracks in the mortar stone to the room below (where Dizzy looked at the water coming through the ceiling and was trying to wash the “stink” off of himself but Narnul wanted to do the same and she ended up using him a bit like a sponge.).
Not wanting to piss off the Cyclops host, Sybil climbed back up on the stool, reached up and held the pipe in one hand, and then took off her shirt and holding it wadded it, jammed it in the hole with her right hand. The flow of water lessened, but it was not a perfect fit and it was squirting out under high pressure raining about the Halfling who was now soaked to the skin. Deciding more clothes were needed, she let go of the pipe with her left hand, picked her glove off with her teeth, and then jammed THAT in the hole along with the shirt. Still going, but not perfect.
At this point she had jammed her right hand pretty far into the pipe and was reaching down with her left to undo her pants, letting them fall to her booted feet. But two things happened, her glove still on her hand was swelling up with water and now her hand was stuck in the pipe while water STILL rained down on her…and the stool she was standing on fell over from her gyrations in her attempt to kick her pants off and she was hanging there by one hand stuck in a water pipe, soaked to the skin, pants around her ankle, suspended a bit over 2’ off the ground.
It was time to call for help. She yelled for Dinka who came in and saw Sybil in her predicament and wanted to know WHY!?!? No real answer could explain the halfling’s situation so she was just helped free and Dinka told her to take the buckets and go while she plugged up the pipe with the now found cork. Sybil tied her sopping pants back into place and taking both buckets, went down the steps to the party.
Most of them were happy to see her with the buckets of water and it was assumed that one was for them…so they took it. Meaning she took the half filled bucket to the door and knocked where Narnul opened it, thanked Sybil as she was getting thirsty, and went to shut it again…while Dizzy was looking at Sybil with shock and disgust and the Halfling gave the dwarf the thumbs up for her efforts. He never got to use it to clean himself and Narnul drank most of the water, giving him the dregs to swallow before once more using him for her satisfaction.
Eventually Dinka came down and returned Sybil’s clothes and we talked about the mountain, her clan, trolls, kobolds, and other matters. She was estranged from her clan for 3 years as many of the members thought the leader’s desire to befriend the local ogre clan was a bad one. The clan was to the west of the Eskerton Tunnel, many miles on the shores of what she called Broken City Lake.
As for kobolds, they were on the opposite side of the lake in the forest in an old keep. She understood the clan to be sizable (over 100 of them) and the shaman was respectful of her until recently. A new shaman, much younger, had been through the tunnels in the last few months and had shown a serious lack of respect for her, actually entering her tower (hence the dead kobolds).
We thanked Dinka for her information and she did let us know if we did manage to get to the Warren and ran across her tribe, let her mother know she was ok and was waiting on word that the current Cyclops chief was now overthrown so she could return home.
Friday, January 12, 2018
Meet 35, Adv 4.1, 1/6/18
This was after a month off for the holidays and we had 2 missing at the table with our revised head count (have had 1 gone now for 4+ months and truthfully, expecting him back anyday soon we hope). So there was chit and chat at first, followed up with not a strict gameplay to follow where side convos and non sequitors followed for some time.
But we did get some ball rolling as the night went on and the party now running the "B" team has a better idea of the scope of this adventure and where they have to go and hunt down the 2nd Warren. The biggest issue is the 11 miles of crawling wilderness between Base Camp and Warren 2 of which this team will have to hoof it and they are not geared towards wilderness adventures.
Either way, they kick off the rails next meeting and head out the door to adventure.
Write up follows:
The group awoke on the 17th of Firemonth and awaited for the Randari Rangers to return to let the party and the Harvesters know where on Furtham’s Peak the next batch of Firvin’s Cap mushrooms was to be picked and returned. This was the 4th day since the 1st K’Morat Warren had been routed and so far, there had been no sign of the kobolds – both a blessing and a troubling event.
By 8:30 the group had been given directions and we followed the Ranger’s directions up the peak to the 5,000 foot mark where Hornes and Spunifer met us, let us know that once again there was no K’Morat sign for them, and then returned to Base Camp while the party guarded the Harvesters on their job. Four Caps were cut down, stored away and sealed, and even though Dizzy and Sybil did walk a double width picket around the harvesting site and made sure to cross each others path repeatedly – again, no kobold sign.
We arrived back at camp by 1:30, discharged our duties, and then had a choice of heading back out to the wylde to hopefully get lucky, or perhaps see if the Reeve had something else for us to do. The group was feeling a bit useless and superfluous at this point. Donna Duncarian, the House Illytch rep and Reeve for the Base Camp, understood our concern and plight and although she had nothing direct for us, the camp’s kennel master, a half-orc named Black Drangis, was looking for some help and if we were interested, could speak with him about some aid to the Camp.
We went to the kennels where a dark-skinned beast of a half-orc, almost 7’ tall and 300 lbs., was more than willing to talk with the party. Black Drangis had 4 wolf-hounds here at camp, and he needed to have 2 of the bitches bred as they were in heat again. The wolves that had been seen out in the wylde were perfect candidates and he wanted help constructing and laying down a pit and wolf trap for the beasts. The party said nothing to Black Drangis about the strong possibility that the wolves were most likely Dunatis the orcish druid and/or member of his circle/cabal.
Instead they went with the talkative kennel master about ¾ of a mile south of the Base Camp and helped him dig out a 5x5x5 pit, lined with a net and set up with two snares along an area that had shown wolf passage in the recent history. We returned to Base Camp by 6:15, shared a meal with Black Drangis at the Mess hall and he offered his aid to us at least one day should the need arise in the future.
At 8:30 the group turned in, knowing that we would be getting up 6:30 on the morrow and hopefully assault the mountain once more for mushrooms and hopefully find some sign of K’Morat somewhere. It was 6ish the next morning when the camp was awoken to the returning Randari Rangers. It seems that they were ambushed not a half mile from the Base Camp by at least 40 K’Morat warriors and the orcish contingent was ill-prepared for the assault.
We agreed to go back to the attack site with Hornes and the rest of the rangers as well as a 4 count of giant killers from the Camp and a few others. Meanwhile the story made its way around and the party listened raptly. The Rangers were assaulted by well-hidden kobolds on both sides and although every ranger had been wounded, 4 of them were in serious condition, one was unconscious from wounds and blood loss, and one was unaccounted for. It was only Spunifer transforming into a bear and Hornes making the call to reverse direction and retreat immediately that saved the Rangers from an even worse position. The feeling is that at least 4 or five of the kobolds had been taken down or were mortally wounded at least by the time the Rangers retreated.
There were at least two differing tribes of kobolds; one was wearing a chalky substance on the hands and face and wore shifts made of fur and skins, the others had jerkins made of moulded leather and brigandine style armor and relied on their natural coloring. There was plenty of signs of battle but the bodies were gone – half-orcish and kobold. And after 2/300 feet or so, there was an effort to sweep the place clean of tracks. Even so we were able to tell that the mass of 40 kobolds did head north. We went back to Base Camp and arranged with Blank Drangis to come with us and bring his dogs. Healing was dispensed and the Bailiff made some noise about giving the Ranger’s the rest of the day off as well as no work tomorrow. There was mutterings about Bailiff Youngston’s decree but the consensus was to let it lie for now.
The mass of us: 11 Rangers, 5 party members, 4 giantkillers, the kennel master and his 4 wolfhounds all went out and after working the area a bit, we followed tracks north to the valley beyond Furtham’s Peak and then the hounds took us east towards the Enderlyn River. According to Spunifer who spoke with the hounds, the trail here was older by a day and the thought was it was half the kobold tribe crossing here the day before and then setting up the ambush.
We backtracked to the valley and then followed the rough valley and scrublands between the ranges north, not actually finding the K’Morat, but feeling like this was the corridor at least half the assaulters had taken on coming here. Throughout the walk, Spunifer was concentrating on Black Squirrels, constantly locating them and using their presence as a guide on whether we passed a Warren being they were common. Although the numbers did fluctuate up and down, there were no wild swings so there was no warren along our walking path.
On the way back we all discussed the maps and what we knew. Two tribes and one of them was more militant the other more barbaric. The barbaric tribe was most likely on this side of the river since they were seen wearing chalk on their face and hands. Chalk deposits were suspected to come from further upriver and we assumed that was as good of a place to look. 2 days upriver? 3? We hoped that Hornes would lend us a Ranger or two to help us get to a point on the map then they could return while the party scoped out the area for a Warren.
It was late in the day when we returned. The party went to the cook, Ruhilde, getting the ok that he’d get us some rations to take into the field tomorrow. The thought was to get up early, eat well, and be out and on the way by 8. The Rangers would give the Bailiff some song and dance about 4 days needed for mourning their companion but the group had already heard the Bailiff say one day would be given off. No one wanted to step in the middle of that mess.
Early the next morning, Firemonth the 19th, there was the call of “fire” from the wall guards and there was a bonfire roughly 400 yards from the Base Camp south of the tree line. The Rangers went to investigate, the party and other members of the Camp coming as well. It was obvious the K’Morat had lit this and had done so some time earlier. There were feces and steps everywhere; but on a flat stone near the fire were the busted bones scrapped of marrow remains of the missing Half-Orc Ranger taken yesterday morning.
Hornes lost his shit, and the other Rangers were joining him; keening and chanting a dirge to their fallen companion. Spunifer was looking around carefully along with the group; giving the Rangers a wide berth as we had looked on them as comical on some occasions, but were now actually frightening in their fury. There were about half the number of kobold tracks here, leading us to believe it was one tribe now making this display. And besides the tracks which did fade but went north again into the valley area we also found definitive piles of Shellback Hickory nuts which do not grow anywhere near Base Camp.
There was some talk that Shellback nuts could be found much further upriver near Grandfather Mountain and the source of the Enderlyn River (3 days or so from here), which tied in with the idea we had of the Warren being upriver from here. We arrived back at Base Camp and Hornes and the Bailiff got into a public screaming match with one another before the Bailiff had us join him back at the Rep House.
Once there we learned that the Bailiff wanted us to find these kobolds and put the problem to bed. He was a bit derogatory about the half-orcs and even though they were important to the Base Camp, he was more focused on profits and income – the Randari were employees. We also made the mistake of saying we were going to take a Randari or two which had him flat out tell us no. Eventually he settled on us taking one, leaving Hornes with 11 to his retinue. Everyone in camp is on edge. However, the caravan arrived and the party went over all the gear the other party members had requested, taking most of it for ourselves and asking Donna to order another batch to replace what we were taking for now.
But we did get some ball rolling as the night went on and the party now running the "B" team has a better idea of the scope of this adventure and where they have to go and hunt down the 2nd Warren. The biggest issue is the 11 miles of crawling wilderness between Base Camp and Warren 2 of which this team will have to hoof it and they are not geared towards wilderness adventures.
Either way, they kick off the rails next meeting and head out the door to adventure.
Write up follows:
The group awoke on the 17th of Firemonth and awaited for the Randari Rangers to return to let the party and the Harvesters know where on Furtham’s Peak the next batch of Firvin’s Cap mushrooms was to be picked and returned. This was the 4th day since the 1st K’Morat Warren had been routed and so far, there had been no sign of the kobolds – both a blessing and a troubling event.
By 8:30 the group had been given directions and we followed the Ranger’s directions up the peak to the 5,000 foot mark where Hornes and Spunifer met us, let us know that once again there was no K’Morat sign for them, and then returned to Base Camp while the party guarded the Harvesters on their job. Four Caps were cut down, stored away and sealed, and even though Dizzy and Sybil did walk a double width picket around the harvesting site and made sure to cross each others path repeatedly – again, no kobold sign.
We arrived back at camp by 1:30, discharged our duties, and then had a choice of heading back out to the wylde to hopefully get lucky, or perhaps see if the Reeve had something else for us to do. The group was feeling a bit useless and superfluous at this point. Donna Duncarian, the House Illytch rep and Reeve for the Base Camp, understood our concern and plight and although she had nothing direct for us, the camp’s kennel master, a half-orc named Black Drangis, was looking for some help and if we were interested, could speak with him about some aid to the Camp.
We went to the kennels where a dark-skinned beast of a half-orc, almost 7’ tall and 300 lbs., was more than willing to talk with the party. Black Drangis had 4 wolf-hounds here at camp, and he needed to have 2 of the bitches bred as they were in heat again. The wolves that had been seen out in the wylde were perfect candidates and he wanted help constructing and laying down a pit and wolf trap for the beasts. The party said nothing to Black Drangis about the strong possibility that the wolves were most likely Dunatis the orcish druid and/or member of his circle/cabal.
Instead they went with the talkative kennel master about ¾ of a mile south of the Base Camp and helped him dig out a 5x5x5 pit, lined with a net and set up with two snares along an area that had shown wolf passage in the recent history. We returned to Base Camp by 6:15, shared a meal with Black Drangis at the Mess hall and he offered his aid to us at least one day should the need arise in the future.
At 8:30 the group turned in, knowing that we would be getting up 6:30 on the morrow and hopefully assault the mountain once more for mushrooms and hopefully find some sign of K’Morat somewhere. It was 6ish the next morning when the camp was awoken to the returning Randari Rangers. It seems that they were ambushed not a half mile from the Base Camp by at least 40 K’Morat warriors and the orcish contingent was ill-prepared for the assault.
We agreed to go back to the attack site with Hornes and the rest of the rangers as well as a 4 count of giant killers from the Camp and a few others. Meanwhile the story made its way around and the party listened raptly. The Rangers were assaulted by well-hidden kobolds on both sides and although every ranger had been wounded, 4 of them were in serious condition, one was unconscious from wounds and blood loss, and one was unaccounted for. It was only Spunifer transforming into a bear and Hornes making the call to reverse direction and retreat immediately that saved the Rangers from an even worse position. The feeling is that at least 4 or five of the kobolds had been taken down or were mortally wounded at least by the time the Rangers retreated.
There were at least two differing tribes of kobolds; one was wearing a chalky substance on the hands and face and wore shifts made of fur and skins, the others had jerkins made of moulded leather and brigandine style armor and relied on their natural coloring. There was plenty of signs of battle but the bodies were gone – half-orcish and kobold. And after 2/300 feet or so, there was an effort to sweep the place clean of tracks. Even so we were able to tell that the mass of 40 kobolds did head north. We went back to Base Camp and arranged with Blank Drangis to come with us and bring his dogs. Healing was dispensed and the Bailiff made some noise about giving the Ranger’s the rest of the day off as well as no work tomorrow. There was mutterings about Bailiff Youngston’s decree but the consensus was to let it lie for now.
The mass of us: 11 Rangers, 5 party members, 4 giantkillers, the kennel master and his 4 wolfhounds all went out and after working the area a bit, we followed tracks north to the valley beyond Furtham’s Peak and then the hounds took us east towards the Enderlyn River. According to Spunifer who spoke with the hounds, the trail here was older by a day and the thought was it was half the kobold tribe crossing here the day before and then setting up the ambush.
We backtracked to the valley and then followed the rough valley and scrublands between the ranges north, not actually finding the K’Morat, but feeling like this was the corridor at least half the assaulters had taken on coming here. Throughout the walk, Spunifer was concentrating on Black Squirrels, constantly locating them and using their presence as a guide on whether we passed a Warren being they were common. Although the numbers did fluctuate up and down, there were no wild swings so there was no warren along our walking path.
On the way back we all discussed the maps and what we knew. Two tribes and one of them was more militant the other more barbaric. The barbaric tribe was most likely on this side of the river since they were seen wearing chalk on their face and hands. Chalk deposits were suspected to come from further upriver and we assumed that was as good of a place to look. 2 days upriver? 3? We hoped that Hornes would lend us a Ranger or two to help us get to a point on the map then they could return while the party scoped out the area for a Warren.
It was late in the day when we returned. The party went to the cook, Ruhilde, getting the ok that he’d get us some rations to take into the field tomorrow. The thought was to get up early, eat well, and be out and on the way by 8. The Rangers would give the Bailiff some song and dance about 4 days needed for mourning their companion but the group had already heard the Bailiff say one day would be given off. No one wanted to step in the middle of that mess.
Early the next morning, Firemonth the 19th, there was the call of “fire” from the wall guards and there was a bonfire roughly 400 yards from the Base Camp south of the tree line. The Rangers went to investigate, the party and other members of the Camp coming as well. It was obvious the K’Morat had lit this and had done so some time earlier. There were feces and steps everywhere; but on a flat stone near the fire were the busted bones scrapped of marrow remains of the missing Half-Orc Ranger taken yesterday morning.
Hornes lost his shit, and the other Rangers were joining him; keening and chanting a dirge to their fallen companion. Spunifer was looking around carefully along with the group; giving the Rangers a wide berth as we had looked on them as comical on some occasions, but were now actually frightening in their fury. There were about half the number of kobold tracks here, leading us to believe it was one tribe now making this display. And besides the tracks which did fade but went north again into the valley area we also found definitive piles of Shellback Hickory nuts which do not grow anywhere near Base Camp.
There was some talk that Shellback nuts could be found much further upriver near Grandfather Mountain and the source of the Enderlyn River (3 days or so from here), which tied in with the idea we had of the Warren being upriver from here. We arrived back at Base Camp and Hornes and the Bailiff got into a public screaming match with one another before the Bailiff had us join him back at the Rep House.
Once there we learned that the Bailiff wanted us to find these kobolds and put the problem to bed. He was a bit derogatory about the half-orcs and even though they were important to the Base Camp, he was more focused on profits and income – the Randari were employees. We also made the mistake of saying we were going to take a Randari or two which had him flat out tell us no. Eventually he settled on us taking one, leaving Hornes with 11 to his retinue. Everyone in camp is on edge. However, the caravan arrived and the party went over all the gear the other party members had requested, taking most of it for ourselves and asking Donna to order another batch to replace what we were taking for now.
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
Youth Meet 5, Adv 1, 1/5/18
It was nice getting the youth’s together so many times in the last few weeks since my own game was on hiatus. They are still plowing through the main floor of the mansion but I ramped up the “haunted” this session since they decided to make camp within one of the living room areas. There was still the “herding cats” feeling on my end as I did my best to keep the game focused and moving along, but as long as they are having a good time, it’s working for me.
Write up follows:
The party decided to reenter the mansion, staying just inside the foyer while they discussed either returning to Saltmarsh or staying out here. The decision was made to stay out here for now and to further explore the remainder of the main floor for any signs of the haunting or things of interest/value. Talion lit a fresh torch, the group taking a quick count of what was remaining and we decided we had enough possible light sources for today and tomorrow for now.
Magnus took the lead, taking us down the east wing from the foyer where there were 2 doors on the right hand side. The first door was fairly swollen, blocking the frame and preventing it from opening. A shove on the knob had the entire thing break off in his hand and a hole in the wet wood of the door itself. Valerie helped shove the door open and we had a chance to look in.
It was a living room of some sort, but there was no furnishings left anymore, the fireplace on the right had a ring of red toadstools surrounding the hearth. A 2nd doorway on the left wall most likely led to the same last room as indicated in the hall. No one wanted to mess with the ring but Magnus was willing to take the lead. He crept up to the ring, scimitar out, and carefully…slit one of the toadstools near the base. Nothing happened. He did the same again and again…and then he felt confident and cut huge swaths of the mushrooms out.
Valerie informed us the toadstools were edible and we bagged them for now to add to our dinner later. As for the hearth and fireplace, Deja was on point and after verifying no spiders waiting within, gave it a once over and was happy to see another hidey-hole up near the back by the flue. She moved the stones aside and felt within for a cracked and dry leather bag. After pulling it out she could see it held a small yet nicely cut purple amethyst which the party pocketed with aplomb and good cheer.
As for the rest of the room, nothing else was of note so with care, they looked through the east door to the last chamber. It was a mirror image of this living chamber except the ceiling was in very poor condition and broken plaster littered many places. The naked floorboards above were visible and there was suspicion that they sagged, meaning the floor above this room was going to be a mess if at all stable to walk upon.
Deja quickly checked the fireplace in the 2nd living room but once she was sure it was empty, returned to the party and we all went outside the mansion. We had checked out the entire lower floor and wanted to rest before attempting the 2nd floor and eventual basement. At first we talked about camping outside the mansion but we had no tents, no shelter out here, and no place to stay warm and dry. With trepidation, we opted to camp within the mansion for now.
We went back to the east wing and the room that at one time held the toadstools. While a few of us swept the floor clean, Valerie and Magnus went to the dining room and gathered up the fallen table there while Talion went to the library and brought as many shelves and books he could to be used as kindling and fuel source for the night. We propped the door back up in its frame and then shoved the table in front of it just in case. A fire was lit and we heated up our food with some pots scavenged from the kitchen, also toasting the mushrooms as an added treat. We felt good after eating and set up a round of watches to start about 8:00 or so with Deja, Magnus, Veldryn, Talion, and then Valerie taking turns. While the fighter types were tending to their weapons and gear, Deja was reading through the notes taken from the desk in the study, and Veldryn was reading the difficult pages from the Metaphysics of Math and Magic tome.
By 8 everyone was tired, the room was warm and toasty, and the group settled down to sleep. Deja was able to note that the alchemist had ordered many things but there were 5 odd items he ordered continuously that ranged from Greenblood Oil to Brain Juice. Yes, Brain Juice. Juice from a brain. And someone who supply it to him. Like 15 plus times over a period of 2 or 3 years. Admittedly most of these orders were 20 years out of date, but when we returned to Saltmarsh, it was something that the party was going to want to investigate and review.
The group slept while Deja kept watch. Shortly into her time though she heard movement throughout the mansion, footsteps from somewhere. She woke up Magnus who used his connection with Tyr to detect evil and found 1..2..3..4 sensations of evil to the north at the limit of his reach. One of them went up and then moved about upstairs, coming closer and then a bit overhead. The decision was made to awaken Veldryn next since she had detected skeletons earlier in the day somewhere below us and the thought was these were the same.
However when she awoke she yelled in fear and we heard the running footsteps upstairs run back to the north and Magnus lost his concentration. We waited but whatever it was and whoever it was did not come to investigate us on the main floor and we assume went back to the basement. With an unsure confidence, the party went back to sleep and Deja’s watched passed without further incident. Magnus and Veldryn had the same quiet watch, the Speaker for the Dead no longer needing to sleep, instead she went back to reading her tome while Talion kept watch.
And then the house shook, waking the party up. There was a scream form somewhere which had the group on edge. Veldryn called on Hel to remove fear in Talion who was getting shaken, not only fixing his fear, but also removing his concern about the room on the west wing that had a voice yell at us yesterday.
The noises did stop and the group hunkered back down to sleep, the party eventually awakening together but no one getting a “great” night’s sleep. We broke our fast, ate quickly, and the paladin, druid, and cleric all spent an hour praying. By 6:30 we were ready to go and the party all discussed last night as well as what Deja had learned from her notes.
The decision was made to go upstairs and check out the second floor for two reasons – to make sure nothing was left unturned, and to make sure that no one was “behind” us waiting on the floor above. We climbed the stairs from the Foyer and looked around. The floor to the left over the foyer was a bit suspect but we could see with a fresh torch hallways going to the north and west wing. However, we wanted to head east (where we heard noises AND where the ceiling/floor here was in poor condition) and make sure the area was explored first. Three doors and we went to the first one where Deja assured us it was unlocked and untrapped. She opened it to reveal a small room that was pretty webby and dusty, but there was something glinting in the fireplace.
Write up follows:
The party decided to reenter the mansion, staying just inside the foyer while they discussed either returning to Saltmarsh or staying out here. The decision was made to stay out here for now and to further explore the remainder of the main floor for any signs of the haunting or things of interest/value. Talion lit a fresh torch, the group taking a quick count of what was remaining and we decided we had enough possible light sources for today and tomorrow for now.
Magnus took the lead, taking us down the east wing from the foyer where there were 2 doors on the right hand side. The first door was fairly swollen, blocking the frame and preventing it from opening. A shove on the knob had the entire thing break off in his hand and a hole in the wet wood of the door itself. Valerie helped shove the door open and we had a chance to look in.
It was a living room of some sort, but there was no furnishings left anymore, the fireplace on the right had a ring of red toadstools surrounding the hearth. A 2nd doorway on the left wall most likely led to the same last room as indicated in the hall. No one wanted to mess with the ring but Magnus was willing to take the lead. He crept up to the ring, scimitar out, and carefully…slit one of the toadstools near the base. Nothing happened. He did the same again and again…and then he felt confident and cut huge swaths of the mushrooms out.
Valerie informed us the toadstools were edible and we bagged them for now to add to our dinner later. As for the hearth and fireplace, Deja was on point and after verifying no spiders waiting within, gave it a once over and was happy to see another hidey-hole up near the back by the flue. She moved the stones aside and felt within for a cracked and dry leather bag. After pulling it out she could see it held a small yet nicely cut purple amethyst which the party pocketed with aplomb and good cheer.
As for the rest of the room, nothing else was of note so with care, they looked through the east door to the last chamber. It was a mirror image of this living chamber except the ceiling was in very poor condition and broken plaster littered many places. The naked floorboards above were visible and there was suspicion that they sagged, meaning the floor above this room was going to be a mess if at all stable to walk upon.
Deja quickly checked the fireplace in the 2nd living room but once she was sure it was empty, returned to the party and we all went outside the mansion. We had checked out the entire lower floor and wanted to rest before attempting the 2nd floor and eventual basement. At first we talked about camping outside the mansion but we had no tents, no shelter out here, and no place to stay warm and dry. With trepidation, we opted to camp within the mansion for now.
We went back to the east wing and the room that at one time held the toadstools. While a few of us swept the floor clean, Valerie and Magnus went to the dining room and gathered up the fallen table there while Talion went to the library and brought as many shelves and books he could to be used as kindling and fuel source for the night. We propped the door back up in its frame and then shoved the table in front of it just in case. A fire was lit and we heated up our food with some pots scavenged from the kitchen, also toasting the mushrooms as an added treat. We felt good after eating and set up a round of watches to start about 8:00 or so with Deja, Magnus, Veldryn, Talion, and then Valerie taking turns. While the fighter types were tending to their weapons and gear, Deja was reading through the notes taken from the desk in the study, and Veldryn was reading the difficult pages from the Metaphysics of Math and Magic tome.
By 8 everyone was tired, the room was warm and toasty, and the group settled down to sleep. Deja was able to note that the alchemist had ordered many things but there were 5 odd items he ordered continuously that ranged from Greenblood Oil to Brain Juice. Yes, Brain Juice. Juice from a brain. And someone who supply it to him. Like 15 plus times over a period of 2 or 3 years. Admittedly most of these orders were 20 years out of date, but when we returned to Saltmarsh, it was something that the party was going to want to investigate and review.
The group slept while Deja kept watch. Shortly into her time though she heard movement throughout the mansion, footsteps from somewhere. She woke up Magnus who used his connection with Tyr to detect evil and found 1..2..3..4 sensations of evil to the north at the limit of his reach. One of them went up and then moved about upstairs, coming closer and then a bit overhead. The decision was made to awaken Veldryn next since she had detected skeletons earlier in the day somewhere below us and the thought was these were the same.
However when she awoke she yelled in fear and we heard the running footsteps upstairs run back to the north and Magnus lost his concentration. We waited but whatever it was and whoever it was did not come to investigate us on the main floor and we assume went back to the basement. With an unsure confidence, the party went back to sleep and Deja’s watched passed without further incident. Magnus and Veldryn had the same quiet watch, the Speaker for the Dead no longer needing to sleep, instead she went back to reading her tome while Talion kept watch.
And then the house shook, waking the party up. There was a scream form somewhere which had the group on edge. Veldryn called on Hel to remove fear in Talion who was getting shaken, not only fixing his fear, but also removing his concern about the room on the west wing that had a voice yell at us yesterday.
The noises did stop and the group hunkered back down to sleep, the party eventually awakening together but no one getting a “great” night’s sleep. We broke our fast, ate quickly, and the paladin, druid, and cleric all spent an hour praying. By 6:30 we were ready to go and the party all discussed last night as well as what Deja had learned from her notes.
The decision was made to go upstairs and check out the second floor for two reasons – to make sure nothing was left unturned, and to make sure that no one was “behind” us waiting on the floor above. We climbed the stairs from the Foyer and looked around. The floor to the left over the foyer was a bit suspect but we could see with a fresh torch hallways going to the north and west wing. However, we wanted to head east (where we heard noises AND where the ceiling/floor here was in poor condition) and make sure the area was explored first. Three doors and we went to the first one where Deja assured us it was unlocked and untrapped. She opened it to reveal a small room that was pretty webby and dusty, but there was something glinting in the fireplace.
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