The group woke up and we had some things to do today – but along the way, after sharing what happened the night before, Dizzy wanted to stop at the Graveyard and see what happened – and if it was related to our efforts the day before. The rest of the party was going to go shopping for a bear trap. And a goat. Sure, why not!
Dizzy talked with the Thorian priest, Gulmund, where the dwarf let him know that the person who was killed was Horace. The young man had gone to the Arena for a few hours, then home to his wife, slept a bit, and was back here for the Midnight to 8 shift – when he had been attacked and badly hurt, disfigured, and killed while here. Captain Arsin and the Watch had come and asked questions, walked around, and then went looking for possible culprits. As for his young wife, she was beside herself and terribly distraught. Dizzy commented that he and his group were doing something but would return soon if help was needed.
As for the rest of the party, Eoghan led the party to the Street of Swords where they met with a shopkeep named Djog, at Ursa’s Hunting Gear. They looked over things to buy, talked about man catchers, hunting bears, and even other things- opting at last to rent a bear trap (buying it was real expensive). We paid the coin, promised to have it back in 2 days, and then left. As for goats, Wilhelm was a big help while looking over the wares, settling on a poor quality animal that was in such a terrible state, that using it for what we had in mind was a mercy to it. It was also cheap.
During all this, Connal eventually got a date with a girl with questionable standards named Olio @ 6 PM on Airmonth the 8th. Talking about dates, Grendel’s date with Staki went very well, the two of them making tentative plans to meet up again, the elven scion feeling pretty good with himself.,
It was 10:30 when we left Stivil proper and made our way west and uphill eventually to Falcon’s Nest. Jessie, her team, all their gear, and 3 support staff all went with the party to the 15th barrow entrance. Once there, we set up the area, marked things off, prepared a killing field. We spaced out where the party would be standing, sight lines were established – and we suspected that we’d get 1 grue this way. Finally the goat was staked in place by the two tripods with the oil of explosion and we all spread out and ate.
As the day went on to evening and the sun set, we all grew ready and waited. It was about 9 PM when we had the first contact from the mound. A section of turf lifted and the grue stepped free looking around. It could smell the goat and see it, but it seemed to be talking to something else within before coming back out and looked around. Gryg, Darrien and one of the helpers with the torch was there and they swore the grue was looking at them – even as hidden as they were. But we waited. The grue went off line a bit, and then threw a log at the goat, killing it and checking out the area.
Finally it went over there and the ranged people fired – and 2 oils of explosion went off, buffeting the grue on both sides. We then fired off 3 light spells, bracketing around the grue and preventing it from turning back to the barrow and run. So it roared and CHARGED the party – specifically the 3 guys off the line. It hit them, scattering them, and then it shredded the torch lighter, ripped his guts free, and then lifted him up and ATE one third of him in a single bite!
Ok – that was fast and gross.
Bless spell fired off, we buffed up and Connal charged in as the ballista team struggled to change the war machine’s direction. Kicks, punches, stabs, and flatbows fired. The Grue was hit, and hit, and hit again. It swept its claws wildly, it was taking withering fire from 3 directions. Eoghan’s arrows landed with precise accuracy and Jessie’s magic missiles tore through exactly the same. But eventually, it fell over dead and we could hear a roaring cry answering its deathknell from inside the barrow.
There was a brief altercation as Connal started to hack apart the grue and Jessie was like, what the fuck are you doing? Rein it in. Just lost a man, and this fucker killed every friend I had over a year ago. It got a bit tense and Eoghan stepped up to have the hacking end, while Jessie’s people were all looking at the party, Connal specifically, like there’s something wrong with him. We have 1 more grue and 2 young ones to go through still, so cooler heads prevailed and we gave the fallen and those who had hunted it some time.
Eventually we were all on page again, hand was taken as proof of deed done, and we approached the barrow. The turf flap needed to be propped up but inside it was fairly large, but it was also obvious that the original buried bodies in here had been tossed around. A 10’ wide hole sent deeper into the ground and the smell was pretty rank. We drew up in line, set rope and grapple, and went down. Torches were lit and we skittered along.
Came to a dug out chamber after 40’ down, three possible ways out, two of them could have had grue path. We split the difference and went down one. It stayed level and then dropped another 30 degrees down to another chamber, also with 3 ways out. Fuck. Another torch was lit to mark where we had come and Eoghan felt he had a good bead on where to go. Took a passage that went down again. 50’? More? We went and a light spell was cast. Chamber here had goblin markings, and across it was another passage. Another buff was cast and we ran on, moving faster and faster down the dark passage.
It was while running that we skipped over, and then one of our members, Grendel, fell into a leather covered trap hole. Pitched forward and busted his leg HARD. Dizzy waved the leaders on and we struggled to pull the wounded elf free. He was going to be hobbled and moving slow and this was not the place for it, so healing was plied while Connal, Darrien, Gryg, and Eoghan charged along to the next chamber where the fleeing grue had taken a weapon rack from the wall and dragged it into the passage, ropes as well, clogging it up. Gryg attacked it with his hammer axe, smashing it free, Wilhelm also eventually charging down the hall as they first four burst it down and raced down the hall to a where the 9 ½ tall, 1500 lb female grue and her two young were in dug out chamber, and turned to assault the 4 warriors here.
No comments:
Post a Comment