The party has 2 rangers and a druid in the mix - making most the wilderness issues and tracking a snap. I was not going to boost the DC's on anything, this is their sweet spot, let them have it.
Follows:
The group talked over ales and dinner of their plans tomorrow to address the need to find the Grues with Jesse and her party. They wanted to be gone early enough to spend the day as need be. Connal was quieter and Grendel had some different thoughts and opinions, but we felt together and cohesive and made our plans final.
The next day was a mixed bag of temperature, but there was a heavy ground fog keeping visibility to almost a dozen feet tops. So we loaded up some provisions and then relying on Eoghan, made our way out of town. We ignored some doings at the Cemetery, some constables were there, a dozen crying people. Nope, not going to even stop and gawk. Just keep going people! Kept on walking to the west, heading along the farms and homesteads, eventually making it to the keep, Falcon’s Nest.
We had an audience with Jessie who was disturbed that it seemed that we were possibly cutting her group out of the bounty as paid to them from Baron Skudridd if they performed their bounty to Lord Rockhome. We agreed that we would all share alike and not screw either group over. Then we looked over the maps that her group had concocted over the last few months.
The secret were the barrows. The burial mounds the former Randari had used, there were 14 of them accounted for, about half were in at and through various Demesnes. The mounds were then used by goblin marauders over the last century, eventually making a cave system running to and from them, allowing the goblinoid races to spy on the surface dwellers. And now, the Grues had found their way into the barrows and were using them to chase goblins, avoid surface entanglements, and most likely, hide out and maybe be nesting or giving birth.
There was an encounter map with the Rothchild farm on the north end of the map being the most likely place for Grue activity. So we drew an area that stretched north of it and wedge shaped, and assumed that it would be there that we would look into. The fog was still there and Wilhelm called to Frey to allow him to predict weather, learning it would burn off between 12 and 1. Good enough for us.
It was quarter after 12 when we left the Nest, Jessie’s group and ours, and we made our way north and east, following around the homesteads, to arrive at the area in question. It was here that Eoghan, Grygmiir, and Wilhelm’s talents became apparent as having 2 trained kingsmen and a druid at our disposal allowed us to fan out and cover a large area of ground, finding signs, tracks, and other assorted clues as to the area in question.
Grues? No, but something went through here. Folded grasses. Steps. Tracking. Greenskin? Goblin sign! And it went from north to south, at a good clip! Whoever it was was light and shod – most likely a standard goblin, and it was running. For a nearby barrow. Ok, so track it backwards? And again, the three of them made short work with overlapping checks, fields of review, quadrants, and an almost dazzling display of woodmanship.
We discovered a hobgoblin, up in a tree, tied to the branches in a way that it wouldn’t fall out. And we also noted that there was 15th barrow not on Jessie’s map! It was some 200 yards north of here, in a hollow of three hills where it would be missed even under some semi-serious scrutiny. Why the hobgoblin in the tree? And it had been killed by the goblin, not by a grue. Maybe to coax the grue out?
We cut it free and let it fall, and looked further afield. We did stumble upon a wild boar, 190 lbs a bristly. It snorted and made angry noises at us, but Grygmiir was able to calm it down and also had the beast sidle up to him in a friendly manner, but it was still ill tempered to the rest of the party. Did it see the Grue in the area? Wilhelm offered to speak to it. Calling on Frey again, the elven druid was able to communicate with the boar…and the other animals around him as well! Jessie the rabbit, Grin the wolfhound, both of his cats, and the boar.
The boar considered itself above the other animals, and was convinced it was a king. Calling it your Lord (Gryg had dubbed the boar, “Buddy!”), he did learn that there was a hunter in the woods at night, foul and dangerous, new to the area. And the boar might be a king, but even kings avert their eyes and hide when god strides the woods.
Discussing all we had learned, we wanted to get closer to the barrow and scout it out. BUT NOT GET TOO CLOSE TO IT!!! Good idea, Dizzy!
There was a section where the grass had been torn up and flopped down, most likely where it came out from. We discussed alchemist fire, explosive oil, even a ballista. We had some rough plan to come back and set up a lure and kill area for the party to attack the grue(s) and were heading back to the Nest for now to finalize it and come back tomorrow. For some reason, the number of nipples a grue had was an important discussion on the way, mostly to figure out the possible size of the litter the grues might have. We suspected 2 at most – and went with that.
On the way a 10 count of bandits in poor armor and riding a smattering of even poorer horses tried to brace us and were looking for Grendel. Dizzy appealed to them and using various thief and guild contacts and signs, had them forestall any attack for now and head back. He was pissed and assumed Groa was behind this. He needed to talk to Froi. And Grendel really wanted to head back to town and get his date with Stacki going. Gryg offered to stay and work with Jessie’s group on setting up for tomorrow, and we’d be going back and buying a bear trap (extra one!) if we could.
It was evening when we returned to Third Breach and then Grendel went to the Broken Leg. Dizzy followed and indicated to whoever he could Cant to that we wanted to meet with Froi. An older woman named Lirik took his message and he stayed in the alley behind the Leg for now. Eventually Froi arrived and the two men got into some words about letting it go, the bandits, and Groa’s efforts. Groa is currently missing and is pissed and Froi wants this matter down and over.
It was then that Captain Arsin, the preeminent law enforcement person in Stivil, showed up and with 2 others at his side, wanted to know what was going on. Dizzy was an obvious person in regards to look, and Froi knows better than to conduct guild business back here. No, we’re friends. The cover story was full of holes and Captain Arsin knew it, but had nothing to pin on Dizzy. They took Froi away for now and Dizzy went back to the front of the place and then went in.
Grendel and Stacki’s date was going very well and Dizzy was happy to see the elven scion and the seamstress take a bottle of wine with them up the stairs and eventually to a room. Boot scene. He left, Captain Arsin was watching him, and made his way back to Third Breach where we muttered about no good deed being unpunished.
Jessie felt the need (due to her PTSD) to explain about her night over a year and a half ago to Gryg, sharing with the dwarf what happened to her crèche and why she wanted to see this monster put down. The dwarf agreed with the Halfling and promised that his group was just as committed thanks to Eoghan. Then both went to sleep and that wrapped up Airmonth the 6th.
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