Game Session Recaps

[frenzied67]

Episode 146 Gurthos 20th - 21st, 1032 C.E.

Eyeing the pile of flotsam and bodies, they briefly talked of making camp after sifting through the junk for loot. Not liking how badly her friends were damaged, Leiya upcast a Cure Wounds spell on Enkili, then a Mass healing Word on everyone. After that they began to sift carefully through the junk. That care paid off, because Leiya caught sight of a nasty grub crawling through the debris. Rot Grubs. She explained to everyone that these maggots could crawl into a person without their knowledge (anesthetic bite), and burrow to their heart, killing them in mere minutes.

Melosta’s servant then cast Aura of Purity on herself, creating a large 30’ field around herself that made everyone in it unpalatable to bug taste buds. Quickening the pace of their work, they resumed their labor; Leiya’s spell only had a ten minute duration. Several minutes later a table was lifted and tossed aside and everyone saw it at once. A parchment laid out like a wanted poster, but written in a language no one knew. That script gave the stout hearted heroes a case of heebie jeebies, an unholy and unclean language had been used to scribe this page.

Instead of a person, the Ruby Weave Gem was pictured on the poster. Enkili reached for it thinking he could slip the parchment free. Instead the parchment tore, and a putrescent limb fell on the lower half, smearing that part of the manuscript beyond recovery. The fighter wished his friends would have berated him rather than give him “those” looks. Blaylocke stated that he still had a spell that would allow him to read any script as long as it was not magic code.

They set the recovered parchment fragment aside to continue with their grim work. When the Aura of Purity was nearing it’s completion, the realization hit the group that they were working in the Hagborn Troll’s refuse pit. It probably would not store it’s valuables in such a place. Backing away from the smelly pile, Blaylocke began the ritual magic that would allow him to read their parchment. Enkili and Jolrael discussed the best way to cremate the remains when they were done. Leiya said more prayers for the dead, as they all rested for an hour.

The bard broke in on everyone’s rest with a strange question: “Has anyone heard of someone called Noshuul?” Everyone hesitantly said yes, but no one could recall where, or in what context. Blaylocke cast Skill Empowerment on himself to help his recall, but not even magical aid could dredge that knowledge to the forefront of his mind; other than landing on the idea that the name was demonic or hellish. Frustrated the bard then read the scrap of parchment aloud. “...Heart of Noshuul. When the gem is restored to Noshuul’s vessel the person will be well rewarded….” A fragmented segment alluded to the heart masquerading as a rare magical gem.

Leiya wondered if a Noshuul had something to do with a local place that had suffered a disaster long ago. Shol’s Hollow is a place she knew of, and the legend said that a falling star gouged out the area, destroying an entire village in the process. She said the region she named is located in the Srednyaya Dolinal, through Delnoc Pass. After they speculated for a while, they each fell silent, each of them wondering how many different puzzles they were trying to piece together.

After the rest, they climbed up to the platforms and ledges the Hagborn Troll had leapt down from. Within minutes they found where the creature had bedded down. They found a large well made tapestry the creature had used as its blanket, a large gold bracelet, and a silver necklace with gemstone pendant. Three flasks (one in a yellow liquid where an eyeball bobbed, a red liquid that glimmered when shaken, and clear liquid where a large fingernail rested at the bottom) were also found. Lots of copper and silver coins were also recovered.

Before leaving, the party returned to the trash pit and lit it on fire. No one remained behind to see if the cave had proper ventilation, as the place of horror became a crematorium. Enkili carried the Hagborn Trolls head with him. Blaylocke manifested his Leomund’s Tiny Hut spell where they bedded down for a full nights rest. As Leiya and Blaylocke were in the middle of changing shifts, they both saw a giant silhouette moving in the dark forest, silver eyeshine showing that the hut had been observed by the gangly, too tall figure. After a time the silhouette-in-shadow melted away into the utter black of the trees.

In the morning, Leiya lead everyone to where she and the bard had seen the figure. Though they found impressions that could have been foot steps, the marks were to undefined for anyone in the party to determine what or who had made them, or even where they came from or led to. On inspection, only the potion bottles had radiated magic. (in the same order as presented above) They had a Potion of Clairvoyance, Superior Healing, and Stone Giant Strength. Jolrael had spent a few hours using cantrips to clean the well made tapestry. The coins had been counted and they now carried 2193 copper coins, and 1567 coins of silver.

Leiya, Blaylocke and Jolrael were all able to contact the managers of their bastion facilities. Enkili was worried about his spy network (pub) not having direction, so Leiya hinted that she would have a set of Sending Stones made for him. On casting a minor spell, Jolrael warned everyone that sometime later in the day there would be sleet. This information impacted the party’s travel plans; instead of riding back to the city, they instead traveled on to the nearby village, and it happened to be the night of the Winter Bale Fyre. Arriving at the village in mid morning they were challenged by men at the gate.

These people did not come across as militia, trained guards, or having anything akin to martial discipline; they were just armed citizens taking their turn at gate duty. Leiya cast Tongues on Blaylocke so the two of them could converse with the gates guardians. Jolrael and Enkili only looked at each other as they were not privy to the dialogue. There was one point when Leiya asked Enkili to produce the Hagborn Troll’s head. The dramatic moment did not produce the results the priestess had wished for, the towns people guardian’s lost their welcoming interest in the group and assumed worried expressions.

As the locals eyed the forest edge, Leiya shot them questions. Evidently the heroes' triumph was not so cut and dried. It came out that this particular troll spawn still had its mother as well as three other siblings, and as this particular Hagborn Troll was momma’s favorite. Vengeance was likely to come down on the party from this killing, and possibly on the village as well. Never-the-less the gates were opened and the adventurers were invited to join in on the evening’s festivals.

Given seats around the fire in the town square, they met with and talked to the grandfather of the main gate guard. The horses were led off, to be curried, fed, and stabled. It was the elder who filled them in on the Hag’s offspring and that family’s penchant for revenge. When translated, Enkili proposed that, sleet or no sleet, they should camp outside the town that night for the villager's safety. Throughout the day, when groups of people took breaks from setting up the celebration Blaylocke performed for the people; Enkili helped the spectacle with some sword dancing performances.

As the day waned, Leiya asked if there were any villagers ill or injured that she could help. A man was carried out to her, trailing a young woman who Enkili assumed was a fiance; turned out she was a wife. At the time the food was flowing, and the celebration was building steam. After diagnosing the illness, Leiya cast Heal on the young man. Visibly the man’s pale and gaunt visage and withered limbs filled out and took on hale colors, as the villagers gasped at the miracle. Immediately the party stopped receiving wary looks and distant regard, they were embraced and lauded.

The family insisted that the little company stay with them for the night. Even though they had made plans to camp outside of the village, custom dictated that the heroes could not decline the offer. Enkili said that no matter how comfortable their accommodations, they would have to keep watch in case the Hag and her Troll blooded brood decided to strike. In the midst of all the rejoicing there was one who did not celebrate. The stricken man’s daughter, while happy her father was cured, did not seem to like the strangers in the village’s midst.

Leiya queried the elder about the girl, while everyone else looked at her for signs of fay strangeness; such as they had noticed with Diera who had been held by the Nighthags in an abandoned lighthouse. The girl was strange, but not in a “Hag” sort of way. Leiya spoke to her friends, upset by what she had learned. The elder had called the girl a child who was not a child. Once more that term had crossed their path….

*Father’s day will be rocked by Dungeons & Dragons, see all of you on the calendar’s first day of Summer, June 21st.