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 with Telepathy, upset by what she had learned. The elder had called the girl a child who was not a child. Jolrael subtly cast a Detect Magic spell on the girl, but did not share any discovery with his friends. 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.

Episode 147 Gurthos 20th - 21st, 1032 C.E.

* My apologies, the Father's Day game was cancelled and rescheduled for today, June 28, 2026. The man Leiya had cured is named Dorovev, his wife is Svetla, and the strange little girl is named Elya. Mikhil is the elder they had been conversing with throughout the day, the headman for the village Sosnova; over three hundred souls reside behind and around the palisade.

Through the remains of the celebration the party began to see Dorovev as a loud boastful fool. His wife, Svetla, would have been a saint if a religious component had been part of their relationship. Elya continued to remain standoffish, though never becoming hostile to the strangers her parents had embraced, the girl clearly did not wish anyone from the party coming to their domicile. Though they had not expected grand accommodations, the party did notice the signs of neglected upkeep. The house was neat, thanks to Svetla’s administrations, but repairs on the place were haphazard and showed a negligent hand.

Rather than show himself a gracious host, boorish Dorovev left settling the party to his wife so he could retire. His snores vibrated the walls before the heroes even had blankets. They were put up in the loft, while Elya was displaced to sleep in the same room as her parents. A barnyard stink wafted through the walls along with warmth; the people of this village had their animal pins up against their homes for mutual survival. Blaylocke regaled everyone with his Song of Rest, the magic music stimulating healing to everyone within hearing. The bard also took first watch.

During the second watch, Enkili was practicing one hand manipulations with his dagger while mostly listening for the sounds of danger. After a while he noticed that there was something different about the shadows of one corner on the ground floor. While peering intently into the strange dark, he caught actual motion, but at the same moment Elya’s voice came from behind him; prompting a near scream from the “bold” fighter.

In heavily accented broken Common, the girl warned him not to look into the room below. Through effort she got the fighter to back away from the edge, her inability to convey her thoughts in Common frustrated the girl to a great extent. She said that the Kikimora did not like to be observed, and it was already upset enough; that message took a great effort for Elya to convey. After asking if there was a way to appease the Kikimora, the girl started talking only in Onostian, and it took Enkili a moment to realize she was speaking to something behind him and not answering his query. Though his hand twitched for his sword, he stayed his hand when something behind him answered.

Pretending to be a statue proved hard for the fighter while Elya seemed to bargain and beg on their behalf. That stillness was tested even more when it became obvious that the creature at his back was interested in Leiya specifically. Obviously the girl talked the Kikimora out of it’s intentions, for the presence at Enkili’s back faded away. Her goal achieved the girl slipped away with a skill that brought Riardon to Enkili’s mind. Dextrous physical silence without the supernatural being used to maintain such stealth. Though he wanted to tell his tale, Enkili let his friends sleep while he remained back from the loft’s edge.

When he woke Leiya for her shift, Enkili told his story in full, even warning her to ignore the strange noises down on the ground floor. Being Onostian, Leiya knew a bit of lore about Kikimora. She told Enkili that they were house spirits that were neither good nor bad, that all depended on the homeowner where the things took up residence. They could bring fortune or misfortune in the tales she knew. The priestess pondered the old Onostian folklore while the hours slowly passed.

Eventually false dawn heralded the sounds of life from below. Svetla seemed to be directing Elya to gather eggs for breakfast, then the mother grew alarmed and angry. Evidently there was broken pottery and dishes down below, and Svetla’s first instinct was to blame her daughter. Elya denied any culpability, but after being browbeaten for a while, eventually surrendered and accepted the blame. Leiya was able to reason out this was a common occurrence in this house, the girl being blamed for the Kikimora’s displays of ire.

Leiya shook her friends awake before descending downstairs, at the same time Dorovev also woke up. Svetla did not allow Leiya to assist in the kitchen, so the priestess eventually followed Elya outside; it took a few minutes before she could locate the girl sulking in an out of the way place almost out of eye shot. Enkili, dressed in armor, passed through the house and began to do his morning workout routine. Blaylocke found all the broken pottery and told Svetla that he could repair it; he had to convince the good woman that he required privacy due to the secret “Dwarven craft” the work required. Onostians like almost all other known Erathian cultures were suspicious of magic.

While the bard was casting Mend in the loft, Leiya revealed that she knew about the Kikimora to Elya. At first the girl was upset that Enkili had talked about the spirit creature, but Leiya allayed her fears; Dorovev’s daughter revealed that the Kikimora had taught her stealthy practices, and stating that the local priests hunted such spirits. Meanwhile Dorovev strutted up to Enkili and began to boast how he could have been a great warrior, but had chosen to become a farmer instead. Since The Sainted Sword required space to exercise with it, the fighter had to stop his rigorous exercise. Fortunately the fighter noticed a pig squeezing past a broken fence post. Pointing out the escape artist saved Enkili from having to discuss how a warrior stood no chance against a trained fighter. As the farmer chased his pig down the street the fighter smiled then continued his sword drills, any other person may have recieved his help.

Elya, who, for possibly the first time ever, had a chance to talk about her secret, began to tell how the Kikimora had become murderous when her father had broken an old figurine. Before that moment, it had been neutral, for her father was not truly a bad man, he had even saved another man’s life after a fall through thin ice. Leiya let the girl know that there was always a way to appease the Kikimora, and they would work with her to set things right with the spirit.

Svetla, amazed by Blaylockes “craftmanship” put a large breakfast before the bard. The food was so good, Blaylocke was moved to song. His performance stopped Enkili in the yard, drawing the fighter inside. Through the kitchen window he saw poor Dorovev carrying his pig back up the road. A few minutes later, while the song still mesmerized (natural 20 performance check) Leiya and Elya came in to enjoy the music and food. Elya noticed the newly repaired pottery, and her face brightened. Dropping her fork, the girl rushed up to the loft.

She races back with the shards of a primal looking figurine of light blue stone streaked with dark blue veins. Leiya had to translate Elya’s pleas for Blaylocke to fix the statuette. The bard explained that he could put the stone carving back together, but he could not put any special powers back in it; the girl just wanted it done, not understanding that Blaylocke was referring to any enchantments the figure may have had. He took the shards to the loft where he went through a magical regiment of ritual spells to see if the construction was magical in any way. He then cast Mend one more time and restored the ancient figure; there had been no residual magic in the carved stone.

After the farmer effected minimal repairs to the pig pen, Dorovev returned to the house as proud as a man who had actually put in real work. This prompted Leiya into upbraiding the man in his own home. Fortunately she had the tact and wisdom to pull it off without igniting any resentment. With a small bit of input from Enkili, she managed to impress upon Dorovev that the streak of misfortune that had been haunting his family came from his laziness, boorish behavior, and puffed up pride.

Humbled, but thinking clearly, Dorovev promised to do better. He showed improved grit when Leiya offered to hire people to help him set his farm and house right, he declined the offer saying he should make his own attempt before summoning help. After breakfast they saw the farmer taking stock of what needed the most attention first, so they gathered up to meet Mikhil in the village square.

With the help of a cane and younger family members, Mikhil has his seat set up near where the bonfire had blazed the night before. The old man opened up with a query on whether the party was leaving or would they stay. When they said that staying brought danger on the village, they were told that the danger would fall upon the village no matter where the party went; making it clear that Sosnovka required help.

He then told the heroes of an old pact one of his predecessors had made with the Hag (I did not catch the names of the Hag or her remaining sons. Those names will come in episode 148), If the village survived after two days then the Hag could no longer plague them. Mikhil made it clear that the Hagborn Troll sons would come that night, and if they failed the Hag would come herself the following night. When questioned the headman inferred that the sons were relatively the same in size in power and might, though the eldest was more savage. Leiya and Blaylocke, in common, began to discuss trying to hide the villagers away in his Mordenkainene’s Marvelous Mansion for the next two days. It was pointed out that three hundred or more people would not fit….

*We will meet again on July 5th to continue with our planning. While Enkili would like to mount the head of the first Hagborn Troll on the gate to instigate a fight, the rest of the party is more inclined to use trickery to deny the Hag her vengeance on the village. Next Sunday should see both Ghosttusk and Ramsay Cowlishaw rejoining our ranks with their characters. Their presence was sorely missed this episode.

Episode 148 Gurthos 21st, 1032 C.E.

* Unfortunately tech issues robbed us of Ramsay Cowlishaw’s presence this game. Correction above: Sosnova’s population was closer to 250 souls than 300. The Hag is named Zlobniya, her remaining children from youngest to oldest are: Bolka (pain), Taga (grief) and Zagub (loss). Grablivi (ravenous/ gluttonous) was the son already slain, the most powerful of the Hag’s children.

While the shortcomings of Mordenkainen’s Marvelous Mansion were being lamented, Grynn (who had returned from under the magical tarp) suggested adding a spell of his to relieving the situation. He had the ability to cast Temple of the Gods, a very potent spell. Like the Mansion, this spell created a large space that could hold hundreds of people. Unlike the Mansion the Temple could not be hidden. Yet that resource became the backbone of the players plan.

It was determined that one hundred of the most vulnerable would be placed in Mordenkainen’s Marvelous Mansion, the last sixty seven would be housed in the Temple of the Gods, a place that would be more defensible than any part of the village. The remaining eighty three villagers were those young and hale enough to help take part in Sosnova’s defense. Enkili asked those villagers to break into three teams. Thirty three of the least capable but healthy villagers would remain in the Temple to shield the noncombatants.

The other two teams (twenty five people apiece) had the veterans and experienced combatants as their core people, along with seventeen of the more stable inexperienced folk. These teams would use guerrilla tactics to occupy two of the Hagborn Trolls, so the party could deal with one son at a time. Throughout the day the party and Sosnova’s leadership surveyed the village to see where to set up the two magical constructions. The bard’s spell was easy enough, it just needed a small space for the doorway between dimensions to be erected, but the Temple would manifest in the world. Just north of the village goats, pigs, and oxen from two pastures were removed to other pens, making space for Grynn’s Temple of the Gods.

Along the gravel path twenty feet north of Mikhil’s abode was the site of Blaylocke’s grand spell, and when the sun started to touch the tree festooned hills to the west the spells were intoned and manifested. Though not used to facing any form of magic, Sosnova’s people proved very practical. No one objected, no one fought for position in one manifestation over the other; people just shuffled through one door or the other. Defenders then sought places of concealment from which to spring their various ambuscades.

Enkili set up Grablivi’s head on the gravel path closest to where the main road entered the village, then he leaned against a hut with his potion of Stone Giant Strength in hand to while away the time. Leiya cast Aid on Jolrael (who soon went back under the magic tarp), Blaylocke, and Enkili; she then cast Death Ward on herself. Jolrael cast Armor of Shadows on himself, then paced eager and worried at the same time. As the dying sun’s shadows stretched forth to welcome the night, the promised twilight was broken by a shriek from the northeast of Sosnova. The heroes came to attention like a pack of wolves scenting prey.

Another scream sounded from the northwest of the village.
“Sons of the Hag, you can claim the head of your brother and go, or your heads can be added to the collection!” Enkili challenged as he removed the stopper from his potion. Grynn upcast Bless and covered everyone in the party with that spell. Bolka snarled a head collecting threat in Onostian before he was seen striding from the west. Blaylocke quietly tapped out Enkili’s theme song on his drums, buoying the fighter’s spirits (Bardic Inspiration). Then the Bard, still tapping the martial beat, cast Haste on the fighter.

Deprecating the party in Onostian, Zaguba was seen walking up from the south; the size of the brother’s making the heroes doubt their own prowess. Silent, Taga moved in from the east, all of the brothers stopped too far away. Leiya, remembering that the monsters they faced were vulnerable to holy light, placed Radiant Defense on Enkili; a special form of magic that had a spell like effect. This allowed her to summon her Spiritual Weapon, setting it to defend the party’s eastern flank. Bolka closed some distance, stopping well outside of a Human’s running distance.

Enkili, graced with a Haste spell, was able to close that distance though. He ran to the monster’s far side before plying the blade of his ancestors. Despite a Blur spell on Bolka, the fighter only missed once, his final attack a Menacing Attack which did not phase the Hag’s spawn. Leiya, repositioning her Spiritual Weapon, hurled a Guiding Bolt at Bolka. The righteous radiance seared the creature enough to make him cry out. Snarling something in Onostian, Zaguba was briefly surrounded by a cloud of sparkles… or something. Vanishing in the cloud, the Hagborn Troll reappeared in another shimmery cumulus manifestation right next to Blaylocke and Leiya (Misty Step).

Taga glided in from the east, loping and not lumbering as his size might have indicated. This son pinched the bard and priestess between himself and his other brother. Grimacing at his situation, Blaylocke did not flush from between the giants. Instead he cast Dispel Magic on Bolka, removing the Blur effect on the youngest son. Bolka’s wounds started to close as his Regeneration tried to keep up with the rain of damage he was taking. The monster then started to hammer at the fighter. His first shot missed which set Enkili up for a riposte, which did work. The second fist did hammer the armored man though, severely wounding the Mandagan.

Enkili flared with holy light when Leiya’s Radiant Defense detonated. The Hagborn Troll was killed in the flare, saving Enkili from at least one more attack. Though the fighter flickered in time and space, he did not become displaced from the here and now. Though he had intended his spell for Bolka, Grynn turned and hurled his Guiding Bolt on Zaguba; burning the creature and painting it in a glimmer that defied the creature’s Blur spell. The Halforc priest then moved to Zaguba flanking him with Leiya.

Taga began to rain blows on Leiya, intent on hammering her into sludge at his feet. She sidestepped or warded the first two blows, but the third attack slammed into her with the force of a diving roc. She stuttered in time, but remained temporally rooted. Zaguba’s final attack also hit. Leiya’s Death Ward was the only reason she was not felled, a rare Coin of Era’s was consumed to save her from the time displacement. Enkili sped in and began to attack Zaguba, flanking with Blaylocke. He missed once (badly) with his four attacks, then he Action Surged and took another series of swings. He hit all three times, his final blow was another failed Menacing Attack. Zaguba looked like a half butchered beast, hale one second, near dead a few seconds later.

Having one brother killed, and the other grunting mortal distressed sounds helped infringe on Taga’s attention for a critical moment which allowed Blaylocke to pull a tactical retreat. The bard scuttled just outside of both Hagborn Troll’s reach before he stopped and cast a Healing Word on Leiya. Afraid of Enkili’s threat coming true, Zaguba flailed at the fighter. His first fist saw the fighter weave and step to the side, but a back fist caught the plate clad fighter solidly. Enkili’s image warped as though rotating lenses made his distorted form enlarged and shrink with discordant rapidity; cut scene images seemed to have little to do with each other, other than having Enkili as the subject. He had been disjoined from time.

His pained cries changing in temper, Zagaba turned his last attack onto Grynn. The priest staggered from the blow, pain making him lose control of his Bless spell. All the Hagborn Trolls inflicted heavy damage. Leiya shifted so she was no longer flanked by the brothers, at the same time her Spiritual Weapon glided over and swung at Zaguba. Though the manifested weapon missed, Leiya had givern herself an opening to call down a Flame Strike on Taga and Zaguba. The later brother staggered three steps before falling, he looked like a pig left too long on the spit; Taga roared in outrage, finally taking damage in the fight that had only lasted twelve seconds….

*That is it for a while. July 12th will have no game, which means the next we meet will fall on July 19th.