Meet 134, Adv 16, 9/13/25

Birthmonth the 10th, 289 of the 29th age. After making sure that all our larders were full, equipment purchased, items fixed, clothes cleaned, and training done, the group sat down and truly looked at their place in things. Right now, they had about 4 and a half months left to shut down the last 2 rifts, and one of them was in the Stronghold of Donnegarten – which we knew where it was. So we were ahead of the game.

With Godric’s passing, we had the Staff of Beetles that he had that only Shim could possibly wield, but given the size of it and his height, it was unusable by him. According to the map of the Ranadi Ympie that was given to us by the Kaiser, there were places in the ancestral gnomish homeland of Nightwoods that do not exist in our time. According to Twilick, Sparkhouse is the magical powerhouse of the Nightwoods Kingdom. So the thought was to go there (plus it’s important to Shim to see his homeland before the Theocrat takes over in 130 years or so) and sell or trade the item in question – and maybe see if there is anything we can do or be a part of.

On the 11th, we boarded the Zephyr’s Windshade and set sail from Bork Keep on the Spelljammer heading eastward to Borbute – the place where Wilhelm was from. We rose to 1500 feet in height and enjoyed the view and breeze. There are a series of inns the resthouses that the Kaiser reimburses the owners for putting up his envoy’s when they are out – and Twilick said that we can stay there or look for anyplace else if we want – but the costs would be on us.

The air was damp with the promise of rain and by 10 it was falling – big fat spring time drops which set Eoghan off. Luckily the gasbag kept most of the falling water from us but it was still a miserable trip. As we followed the road, we could see the Enderlyn River south of us and then beyond, the currently blasted lands that had been scoured by the Chaosstorm a month and a half ago.

The River widened and eventually the delta spilled out to the Borbuta Sea – a massive body of water that reached far south all the way to the kingdom of Daro. As for Borbute, Wilhelm was agog. The place was easily half again larger than in his time – most telling – the entire Wood Elven enclave north of town just wasn’t there! It was an arboreal forest but no elven settlements.

Shim was drawing it as best we could and eventually the ship landed. We were met by the dockmasters as we looked out. The airship docks numbered 12, and the sea faring docks had 2 or 3 times that number not counting the smaller piers for the skiffs and sloops. Tons of goods and passengers make their way from the tremendous sea port in all directions.

Some of us went shopping, Wilhelm took a few of us to places he knew in his time and outside to what would be his home area. A few elves were there, husbanding trees and organizing timber processing – but no expectation of any expanse of elven settlement. Captain Asher, Darius (and Rhygar), and Shimlagesh all opted to find their own place. Eventually settling on a 4 story fancy entertainment hotel known as “The Castle”. They arranged rooms, picked bathers (age and race), and enjoyed a wonderful meal while the local musician entertained everyone on the harpsichord. After getting a great night's sleep and some pleasure, the groups all reconvened the next morn on the 12th at the Windshade and we set off by 9:30 heading eastward.

We arrived at Ashak, another massive port city. This one does most of the trade from Orjam to the north where the quarries there send worked and unworked stones to Ashak for production and shipment. We once again stayed here at another inn sponsored by the Kaiser and on the morning of the 13th, the weather broke and we were off by 9 am.

According to Twilick, we could stop at Kontak, a small trade post town but with little amenities or press on but arrive after nightfall by Bypass, just outside Nightwoods. We opted for that, knocking a day of travel off and we enjoyed the ride. Shim had a question about Bypass. In our time there is no town north of it, but here a larger city known as Timberton exists as well as others.

Twilick told us that the 6 Peace Compact divides up the resources of the entire Ympire and dictates which race provides the larger portion of goods (40%) – gnomes volunteered for Timber and Wood products. So Timberton processes most of it for the Gnome King Mombi who then sends his required portion westward to the Kaiser.

We arrived at Bypass late, almost 8 PM, rested in the Inn there and were on the way by 9ish on the 14th. We took off and again hit 1500 feet. To the east we could see the massive green of the NIghtwoods – oaks, elms, and pines. Twilick let us know that we would be intercepted once we passed over the borders and Nightwoods Border and Protection would issue all of us (not Shim), travel visas. We had to make sure they were on us at all times.

3 strikes. 1st strike was 17 noble fine and a few hours incarceration. 2nd strike was 17 crowns fine and again incarcerated. 3rd strike was expulsion from Nightwoods, and wizard marked to prevent reentry for 17 weeks. The other rule was at no point should a non gnome start a physical altercation with a gnome. Ever.

Sure enough, by 11:30, 2 fast moving Spelljammers bracketed us between them, grapples were set and we were winched close. The Captain on Deck quizzed Twilick about his mission, and then had us all sign a visa. A special pen was employed that pricked the skin and we were making our mark in blood. This meant that visas were specific to each person and you could not use another persons. After they left we continued on towards the capital city of Nightdale.

The city of Nightdale was sizable, beautiful, and fairly large. The clearing was 3 by 3 and a half miles. Roads ran out like spokes of a wheel and concentric circles surrounded the city. We settled at the airship docks and disembarked. Getting directions from Twilick to the Hotel district, we let the gnome captain know that we would be here a week or 2. He was going to give his people shore leave and on day 3 (the 17th), would send a Message spell to Shim to get a heads up on when we wanted to take off again.

We walked through the main street. It was very wide, 45’ or so, and a set of mine cart tracks ran through the center of it. Many gnomes were about as well as some other races: human, elf, Halfling, orc. We also spied the odd stranger race. Fairies abounded here and there, and even a 13’ tall cherry Treant walked by. We heard some rumbling noise behind us and coming up the track was a set of 4 long carts, the first 3 holding seats, roof, and partial walls, room for 30 in each cart, the last was a baggage cart. The scent of ozone was strong and the wheels ground fast, sparks and discharging lighting flying about as the cart whizzed by at 15 mph and went off to the north.

“What the …?”

Asking the populace, it was a Lightning Cart and they circled the city. Stations were roughly every 10 minute intervals and a ride was about 50 minutes all around. Ride was free and there were a total of 5 of the Lightning Carts here in Nightwoods. Both Shim and Nate desperately wanted to ride one but we convinced them not until we got a place to rest.

We settled on the Suds and Foam, a hotel that catered to tall folk (not every place did). We talked to the Proprietor, a gnome named Madan. It started with Sir Darius looking for a room but when he heard that Asher was Captain Asher, the talk turned to the half elf. How are things at the front. Starlitzian Lizardmen and our encounters with them. And a big thank you for the Captain’s efforts and his service to the betterment of the Ympire. Asher ate it up and Darius was disgusted.

We got a room and after making sure that we had a chance to eat, we split up. Eoghan and Wilhelm were going to head to the south end of town where the city map showed various druid encampments. Shim and Natewere going to head off to the Upper class merchants area and see if they could find a magic seller. The rest of us were going to stay at the Suds and Foam and then rest.

Wilhelm and Eoghan walked south and then to the grove area, each of them taking their animals with them. Quickly they were surrounded by lots of other druids and rangers and the like. Including Centaurs. And more treants. And some seriously touched druid companions. We had the chance to meet with one of the organizers, a druid of the 6th circle named Gabin. He was pretty open with sharing the way of things after verifying the two of them were indeed ranger and druid.

Besides the Gnome King Mombi, there were 3 other powers in Nightwoods that share the rule. The Star Prince, the leader of the Fey. High Lord Sturgeous, Leader of the Centaurs. And Rootqueen Floraline, leader of the Forest (and treant). Mombi is not a very effective king. He is disliked by the populace and his edicts are strange and poorly thought out. He has 3 queens – 2 of them are cousins – one is his 1st wife, Loretta, and she runs many affairs of state. The 2nd is the Underqueen Aria, also a cousin and she is responsible for birthing children for the line. They have 2 so far.

The last is something new. Referred to as the Vicequeen, right now it is Tensia. She is the 3rd Vicequeen. The first one quit/retired after 2 decades, and the second one died. He picks them from the populace and they are Vicequeens because their job is to put up with King Mombi’s…vices. Which are said to be sexual, degrading, and sometimes violent.

We talked to the people for a while about Lathandar and at one point, Wilhelm was asked point blank about his blue color. He spoke of Shakak, Lord of Winter and the locals were pretty stoked to hear the visitors from afar and their stories. They ate and drank and eventually a unicorn, Lady Amalthea, came out of the woods and after talking to everyone, wandered up to the duo to speak with them.

They were blown away. A unicorn, right here. She asked questions about Eoghan and his missing hand and his adversity and getting over it. Then she turned to Wilhelm and asked more questions about Shakak. And they lead to other questions and stories. Between Wilhelm and Eoghan, they ended up talking about the Inserrat, the Cree Negishi, Hiawatha, the red and black brothers, Buffalo, Thunderbird, coyote, raven, and all the stories and things they had seen. The audience was rapt in attention and the Lady Amalthea thanked them both.

She did say that if Eoghan wanted the chance to get his hand back, a unicorn’s horn could regrow lost limbs or even bring back the dead. The cost is high and the magic great, but for a price paid, she might be willing to help.

She bowed and left and we were a bit of rock stars as the Lady Amalthea spent so much time with us. They burned a few hay effigies and the bonfires burned high. Alcohol was plentiful and smoking was encouraged. We did have a conversation at the end of the night with a gnome named Bevian. He was pretty stoned and identified Eoghan’s Lexi as a hellhound but quenched. If we wanted to fire her back up, kill a fire elemental and then cut out the heart and feed it to the hell hound – that should restart her fires.

Um thanks?

And for Wilhelm – Lord of Winter? Shakak? Needs to get something for it. Latent magic and all that. Need to kill a Frost Giant and then cut out its heart and eat it. Yeah – that’ll do the trick.

He got up and left, and Wilhelm did note he was wearing a druid disk but it was all colored in and had 3 concentric circles around it – fricking Hierophant druid – nothing higher. Was he fucking with us or telling the truth? Who knew!? They wrapped up and headed home by 1:30 to the Suds and Foam.

As for Shim and Nate, they walked to the nearest platform and waited for the lightning cart to arrive, which it did about 6 minutes later. They got on, excited, and inadvertently blocked a gnome from getting off. He was crass and muttered constantly. The two friends were rocked back when the cart took off, shim had hands up and yelling 'whee'. They looked about and got a heads up. Two engineers were on the roof with what seemed to be a set of rams horns, slowly pouring a drop or two at a time into an open funnel which in turn powered the wheels and sparked it off. Also, there was some sort of repulsion magic because anyone on the track ahead of the cart were shunted safely to the side before the cart could accidentally hit them.

stopped at the merchant’s district and walked up to the upper class area. Rug shops, loom makers, crystal ware, high end furniture, boots and cobblers. No magic shops. They wandered back to the station platform and got on, riding the Lightning cart around the city. Seeing others drinking openly, they stopped off at the next station and went to a local bar. They got a bottle of honey wine and a Shim lent his mug to Nate to get it filled with ale. They got back on another Lightning cart and enjoyed the ride, the gnomes, the speed, and Nightwoods.

They did see at the east end of town a different hub with a set of cart trails heading off to the east outside of the city. They asked about and learned that between the cities, there were also Lightning Carts that plied the roads. Good to know, it meant we could hit Foxmill and then eventually Sparkhouse and not have to take Captain Twilick for a ride. Cost was 1 crown for the rider, and 1 noble for each companion animal, child, or baggage material.

They got back to the Suds and Foam, met up with the rest of the group already there, ate well and we all went to bed. At some point we had to let Eoghan and Wilhelm in but we all rested. The next morning we all shared news about our day and agreed that a trip to Foxmill was merited now. Lightning carts went every 2 hours, next one was 10:30.

We paid our fare and rode east to Foxmill. The intercity lightning carts went faster – maybe 20 miles per hour. There were also 2 sets of tracks – one going east, the other west. At the half way point we passed the other Cart heading to Nightdale. By 12:30 we were at Foxmill. Foxmill is run by the 2nd most powerful gnome and gnome family – Dweval Bleach Foxian. Unlike King Mombi, he is well liked and he uses his influence and money to make the local gnomes lives better.  12:45 we were on the Lightning cart south to Deerwood, arriving at 3:45. Then at 4, we had the last Lightning Cart from there to Sparkhouse.

A food seller was plying the carts and a few of us took advantage of it. He had skewers of meat cooked and salted on a stick, and a flat naan type of bread rolled into a tube and wrapped in wax paper, filled with cooked and steamed vegetables. We ate well, a few of us thinking this was a deconstructed version of a gyro.

Sparkhouse loomed out and we arrived. There was no trees in a 4 mile radius circle around the town. Numerous towers, some squat, others tall, reaching 60’ in height abounded. No birds. Nothing flying. But in the center of town, a spire, starting at 40’ diameter, it rose up higher and higher, tapering to a point 300’ above the ground. The group leaned down to Shim to ask him about it and he shook his head.

“This entire place does not exist in the future. I’ve never heard of it. And in no place does that tower exist.” We also noted tellingly, there were no airship docks here. The Lightning Cart was rolling to the platform at 7 PM on Birthmonth the 15, 289 of the 29th age.

Meet 133, Adv 16, 9/6/25

Plantmonth 27th 9:00 PM, 289 of the 29th age. The group arranged to rest after a few of us had conversation with Steward Scotar Bork of Bork Keep. We expected to have some time here to rest and relax, a few weeks at the minimum. Many of us had felt our skills had improved and we needed to take the time to hone them.

In no discernable order, the group availed themselves of Bork Keep and what it could do for them. Unlike in our time, the lands around Bork Keep had a number of homes and crafting halls about the exterior of the stout walls, making it bigger than a town but smaller than a city for our needs. We took to visiting the shops when our days allowed us to, purchasing items now and again.

Shimlagesh took to visiting the Keep’s magister, an elven practitioner named Stehian Longmeadow. Shim not only wanted to study up and make sure he was well versed (rose to 7th level), but also the option for doing some spell crafting. Stehian, and his main apprentice Hamysh, were happy to help. Being there was a place to study and books to refer to, Shim would not be recreating the wheel so to speak, but it was still going to be a serious amount of funds.

Over the next 2 weeks he and Stehian and Hamysh worked on his magic missile spells again and again and again. Incorporating what he had seen the Speaker of the Sun do by infusing it with glass, he was able to put his own spin on it. Eventually the effectiveness of the spell outgrew its former rigid boundaries but to Shim, the cost outweighed the simplicity of it. From now on, Shim’s spell would be encompassing a kaleidoscope of fragmenting hard candies, making it do extra damage as it tore through the air.

Nate wanted the opportunity to hang up his halberd for some time and dive deeper into the world that Keira and his creche were a part of. Being out here there were no thieves guilds per se, but there were a group of scouts and agents that Twilick was able to guide the human fighter towards. A meeting was arranged with Duwastis, the main agent of the Southern Colors, a paramilitary group of gnomes, halflings, and humans who have made a number of forays across the Enderlyn River and into Starlitzian Lizardman territory.

He had to prove himself amidst the group of 30, eventually getting the nickname Swivel, bestowed upon him by one of the senior agents, Barry, a reminder to Nate to watch his surroundings all the time and keep his head on a swivel. The days were long and the missions mock or serious were difficult, but Nate learned a lot and honed skills he already had to a finer degree, eventually getting a membership scarf and admission to the Southern Colors Scouts.

We also had a conversation with Desmond (who did NOT know us in this time, 202 years in the past and has no idea about the diamond). We learned about the thoughts and portents of the Norns. The lack of true future site. The weave and trends. Desmond wants to make sure the group succeeds in what they are trying to do because according to the few nuggets he’s gotten from his daily divinations, their successes means his successes.

Desmond did bring a Speaker of the Dead, a Helian priestess named Timuryl Berylsdottr. She looked over godric’s body and was able to cast a speak with dead – getting us 2 questions and some conversation with the fallen wizard. He thought it over and wanted the group to use their 1 charge from the rod of resurrection for someone else. The group and its mission is more important that his specific life. Someone like Shim who is running the diamonds, or Darius or Connal who’ve been at this longer than anyone else. Or Eoghan who has gotten over so much adversity and keeps the group moving on. He also mentioned that Nathaniel was a friend who came out of no where and let him know that he would be missed. He mentioned that if his stuff was still back at home, Nate who started with nothing was welcome to all of Godric’s riches. And then his soul moved on.

And Captain Asher was frowning. Why wasn’t he mentioned? Seems he was left out. Someone did say that maybe it was because the Captain didn’t do as much as he could when he could but the matter was dropped for the most part.

Speaking of Asher, he brought the magic sword Doombringer to the Keep Smithy where he was directed to talk to Master Smith Hegenan. The middle aged orc looked over the weapon and whistled. This was a 5 or 600 year old heirloom elvish blade and needed lots of work to fix. Crafted of meteoric iron it was going to take time and funds (over a thousand) to repair. So Captain Asher haggled and traded the weapon in exchange for a set of field plate, scored black and festooned with colored piping and accents. Happy with his efforts he showed the group and Darius visited the smith with the Ankheg plates, getting a promise of a custom set of armor in 2 months of the plates.

And finally Darius, the fighter, talked at length with the Steward who directed him to Captain Felstone Wolvesbane, Cavalier of the Order of the Radiant Shield. The Half Black Orc took Darius in, the Steward willing to stand for him, and had him ride out after picking a steed to borrow. They rode across the country side (actually passing into Grymeria, or where it would be in our time, trippy!) talking about the knightly order, needs and wants, and what it means to actually take the spurs.

Darius worked hard for weeks, showing the Order (110 active members in the rolls) that he was able and capable. Eventually the time came that he was welcomed to the cavalier order. A ceremony followed where he took the knee and pledged himself to be a knight, noble and true. He arose afterwards and was welcomed to the Order.

With all we had done it was now Birthmonth the 11th and we could go to the next rip for the diamond (The Stronghold of Donnegarten) or since we were so far ahead of time, we could take a detour. We opted to go and visit the Nightwoods, the ancestral home of the gnomish kingdom. It was going to be between 6 and 8 days by airship but we wanted to go and take a look around.

2nd Campaign, Session 17. 9/2/25

With Derrywinkle the 3rd’s death, the remaining berserkers (currently eating the dead Derrywinkle) proclaimed that Cara, who had been identified as Duchess not 10 minutes earlier, their leader for now. So we talked to them for a bit, getting a lay of the land as well as some of Derrywinkle’s managing style.

There were 7 of them at 1 point, had been sent here from Jector to scout a place for a keep 6 plus years ago. Instead they followed some goblins they had captured and tortured to this place where they had been told great treasure was.  They pissed off 2 witchy women by taking their vegetables and laughing at them, getting told they would find their riches but then die there never to leave.

They did find the monastery and eventually got into a protracted battle with the goblins before falling down to here. 1 of their members had died in the combat. Then they explored around here for a while and lost another member and most of their magical weapons and armor and items in the Cave of the men who eat men.

There was a Monster in the dark that hunts but they avoid it. A corridor with giant flies and big maggots. They had a decent idea of the layout of many places but never found a way out. Derrywinkle figured it was either in the cave beyond the monster in the dark because there was a deep pool of water there. Or it was in the second octagon room where a corridor leads to an underground river but none of the berserkers could swim and never wanted to risk it.

We ate dinner and rested. The Berserkers seemed to have a distrust of the group (maybe mostly Gun.or not, hard to tell). They were Cheese, Leggily, Fantas, and Neal. We each took watches and made sure that at no point were the berserkers alone being up without one of us.

It was the next day, Icemonth the 17th and we discussed going to the Cave of men who eat men and get the magic items there. Yandr tried to get more information out of them but Cheese didn’t have much more to say. “They are men. Bad men. And they eat other men!”

We pulled the gate back and left the Berserker’s area. We wandered up the northeastern hall to the pool where we refilled our skins. From there it was back to the octagon room and we took the western door. It was an hour of slow walking and mapping. Passage went west, meandered north and then south, west some more and then a long slow passage north, north east. Eventually the passage came to a 4 way split.

According to Cheese and the others, the cave of men who eat men was to the west. The other 2 to the east, the south east one went to an area where there were a handful of bugbears who had been down here a year, and the north east one went to an area where sweepers were sometimes spawned from (Sweepers? We guessed it was the gelatinous cubes).

So we headed west. The passage widened and the smell of unwashed bodies and raw meat began to permeate the area. Bits of bones, trash, and garbage were on the floors and near the walls. The ceiling was slowly rising and the floor had a slope to it. Eventually the passage was approaching 25’ wide and running south and then west. The ceiling was 14’ up, and Nevah assured us the slope ahead was subtly steepening. Also, the effluvia from the rotting meat was making an oily sheen on the ground, meaning down is ok, but coming back up this way would involve some slipping.

We decided to find a place and drive a piton into the wall. Hrimvar had a couple of lengths of rope that he was going to tie together for us to make climbing easier up and down. However, on driving the piton, it made a hell of a lot of noise. Which had some screeching noises coming from down the corridor ahead of us. We drew up at the top of the slope, weapons out, ready to fight.

And coming around the corner were 4 man like figures. They were dirty, scabrous, mostly naked and had long nails. Two were loping across the floor, a short word and shield on their back – and 2 were running at use – across the damned ceiling. And each of them had a crossbow dangling on straps there. “Are you guys seeing this?!”

And then we fired. Gun and Nevah let bolts and arrows fly – at the ceiling running ones. And they were batted aside with ease. And in one case. . one was actually thrown back AT the party. “Are you SEEING THIS!?!”

They were also fast. Faster than most of us. Nah – we broke, running away. Hrimvar and Cara scooped up Nevah and Gun and we ran as the ghoulish figures were hooting and shrilling screaming behind us. Eventually at the 4 way split we ran a bit down the southeast corridor until we were sure we were not being chased and finally rested a bit. “Forget to mention something to us?” Yandr asked with anger.

“What? They were in a cave of men who eat men!?!” Cheese replied, hands pointing. “What did you expect? Derrywinkle always told us to just move on and accept the items were lost.”

“Whatever.”

We voted quickly and decided to take out the bugbears. “Straight fight. We’re good on fighting bugbears now”. We kept walking down the passage that traveled a bit to a “T intersection. Across from us in the “T”, was a cave. Cheese pointed to it and said the bugbears used that cave as their home. A detect evil got nothing. So we risked crossing and taking a look.

Definitely a warren. 3 bugbears would stay here, right now they were gone. We were thinking of messing with their stuff but decided it was best to leave it alone. So at the intersection, we could go north to the faint vinegar smell and maybe the sweeper area, or south which should take us back to the octagon room according to Gun. It was about 11 and we opted south. Sure enough, Gun’s map was right, we came out of the northeast door.

We broke for lunch and went over plans.

The thought was to go back to the other octagon room and go down the hall that had the evil behind it and maybe a secret door. So by 12:30 we were on the way. We took the south door around and past the corridor with the water. Then from there we followed the long sweep until we arrived at the other octagon chamber. We squared up to go through the south door when Cheese stopped us.

Listening he mouthed “Ogre” and we knew there was one down here. So we got our weapons out and were ready. The door opened and the ogre was there – not expecting us. It took a 2 count of arrows to the face, then a spear, sword, and a variety of other weapon hits. It was staggering and tried to shake it off, swinging its maul around to attack. But we were ready (and got initiative), and really tore into the ogre, killing it within a minute and a half. We went through its belongings (a few coins), its weapon was too big and awkward to use, so we headed down the hall after dragging it a bit out of the way.

The hall was very long and ended some distance away. The north wall was obviously a different type of wall (smooth, not rough) but no one could find the secret door (we all failed again). So it was sledge hammer time. We beat and smashed at the wall, chipping it and cracking stone. Yandr tried to point out the best place to hit it and the swingers admitted to hearing him but not striking that section of the wall.

It was 2:30 when we finally smashed through the mechanism, breaking it, and forced the door open. And it was back at the Berserker’s lair. “Are you…”

Cheese and Leggily looked around. “Huh! Didn’t know this lead here? Neat!”

Gun was checking his map and nodded. “Yeah. This makes sense. I can see how that passage led here.”

Yandr was incensed. “And you didn’t think to mention this before we walked all over the damned place?”

“Son, mapping isn’t always an exact science.” Gun lowered his hat and gave the paladin an up and down glower.

We figured while here, we’d take a look at the lair of the monster in the dark next. Gun and Fjord were going to check it out but Nevah wanted to come. “Can you walk quietly, boy?” “Yep!” “Brian…are you sure?” “Sure can. I’m Helping.”

The 3 of them went, and halfway down the hall after Nevah made his 5th inadvertent noise, they tried to get him to stop but he demurred. They were sure that something wasn’t there now, but infravision showed something big WAS just here and went south further into the cave. They headed back and we discussed it with the party.

We agreed to go together, weapons out and ready. Down the hall we went and then racing out of the dark was a 1600 lb ursine with a twisted beak and huge eyes, covered in diseased looking feathers. “Ah!!” Fjord screamed, falling over unconscious. “A bear! And an owl!” Even Thobar was frozen in terror.

It ignored our first missile attacks and took less damage from the blows that did hit. It swept its claws out and tore into Cheese, then its beak ripped his chest open. And as he was bleeding and screaming, it lifted him up, hugged him, and ripped him in half, showering itself and the entire front 2 ranks in the berserker’s blood and entrails. “HROO HAA!!”

Round. 2. Icemonth the 17th, 3:31 PM.