Session 14

Date: 4//2018

Attending: Jake, Dave, Wes, Joey, Aaron, Justin

Absent: None

Start Time: 7:50 p.m.

In the morning the party huddled and decided it was time for a frontal assault on the village. On Khalo’s suggestion Ostar was sent ahead to scout out the situation. Ostar did not return, and after two hours the party prepped for battle and went to Evershade.

The mercenaries were waiting for them in a large group in front of the village; 16 goblins, 4 humans, and 3 ogres. After a long battle the party triumphed, and headed into the village proper.

What they found was the troll and 2 humans waiting for them. The troll had Ostar firmly in his grasp with his other hand around Ostar’s head.  A few brief words were exchanged, a spell was cast and the troll snapped Ostar’s neck, killing him instantly.

The two groups engaged and Orenthal – having prepared with a see invisibility spell – was able to spot the ogre mage flying around. Khalo summoned a hippogriff to engage the ogre mage. 5 goblins burst out of one of the buildings and peppered the fight with arrows. The party persevered and slew them all.

Going to Ostar’s body Norris confirms that he is dead. Osbert searched the fallen gnome, looking for some indication of what spy organization he belonged to. On the heel of his foot Osbert finds a tattoo. It is the number 50 written in gnomish script.

End of Session

650 XP; 100 to Wes for blogging

Soromir's Journal - Entry 11

Death and loss are not new to me. As a former slave, its just a part of life and you learn not to become too attached to anything or anyone. The same was for me with Ostar. I enjoyed his company and he was of great help with our journey to date. He's in the ground now.

It has to be a defense mechanism, but with situations like these, I can make myself go numb and clinical. I will try to do what I can to carry on his mission and get the messages conveyed that need to be conveyed.

Now, moving back to slavery, Mola seems to be an interesting sort. He's a former fighting slave from Jethu. I was a salve from Jethu too but not a fighting kind - more run of the mill farming/all-around bitch boy. Mola can hit too. Holy hell, can he hit. And he's got the prowess to attack twice in a single action. That's impressive and something I want to become proficient in desperately.

I'm still weighing the pros and cons of having Norris in combat. He's gotten lucky of late with some of his attacks actually connecting, but he needs to be in the rear. He's our bandaid. Anything goes after Norris, I'm going to get in its way.

Session 13

Date: 4/8/2018

Attending: Jake, Dave, Wes, Joey, Aaron, Justin

Absent: None

Start Time: 7:40 p.m.

The party pow-wows on the best way to liberate Evershade, and decide to try and lure small groups of the mercenaries out and whittle their numbers down.

They stage an ambush on the road and send Jace to the village as bait. Their plan works well. Jace causes a ruckus and 5 goblins, 1 human, and 1 ogre are sent to investigate. They fall into the party’s trap and are dispatched after a quick bloody fight.

Our heroes pull off the road into the woods and set up camp with watches to recover from their first ambush. About halfway through their rest an exploratory group of mercs, looking for what happened to the first patrol, stumbles onto the party’s camp. A battle ensues – 4 goblins, 3 humans, and 2 ogres. Our heroes are victorious but wounded, and one of the human mercenaries surrenders on the terms that he will be released with his gear. The party adds the provision that he not return to Evershade and answer questions and the bargain is struck.

The mercenary reveals that they were all recruited about 3 weeks ago and were told to simply hold the town. The leader is an ogre mage named Lei Wu and he heard that they were “running interference for the shaman.” They let him go and rest again through the day and the night undisturbed.

End of Session

500 XP; 100 to Wes, 75 Joey, for blogging

No Session 4/1/18

We did not meet to play in observance of Easter Sunday.

Khalo's Journal: Mome Rath, Malo, and New Discoveries

After the battle, we stayed in Evershade for a couple of days. There were tasks to be done. Osbert handled the burial of Ostar, Orenthal interviewed the proprietor of the town's inn, to learn about the establishment's unseemly dwarven origins, and Soromir and Jace made the acquaintance of Herm, a man in town with the knowledge and skill to enchant weapons. The group as a whole met Malo, a dairy farmer. I was struck by the level of interest Somomir, Orenthal, and Jace took in Malo's physique, so much so that  I now feel badly for having discouraged their efforts to sex the innkeepers back in Riverwood. Perhaps were they not so frustrated, they would not be inclined to express homoerotic feelings towards this man who has already been through a stressful situation. In any event, Malo offered us room and board at his home, since the inn, having late been a hostage holding area, was presently in disrepair.

Malo's hospitality allowed me to waste no time in the memorization of an Animal Messenger spell, which I used to summon a snow bunting. The songbird carries a note, written by Jace, to our captain, letting him know we are alive and still about the task of restoring the purity of the water in the river so that we may at last be on our way.

With that business completed, I decided it was time to summon a new companion, and have summoned the great Mome Rath, a dire badger of some five feet in length and four hundred pounds, to travel at my side. Mome Rath is furry, and warm, and grumpy, and in many ways we are much alike. Orenthal has also called a raven to his side, which is called Icarus, and possesses speech capabilities almost as articulate as my own. His devotion to Orenthal is complete, which is admirable. I do not think I will ask such fealty of Mome Rath, for indeed I am not convinced that he is not the superior being. Instead, I will hope to earn his trust, and likewise do my best to offer the best of myself to him freely.

After a couple of days of rest and recovery, we set out in search of this shaman who our investigation has indicated is the fouler of the water. Malo elected to accompany us, and we are grateful, for he seems to be quite the warrior. Upon this point, I stopped to reflect on the changes our retinue has undergone in these last few weeks. Ular, Ostar, and Blaine have all met their ends. Jerek is long departed, and Old Jarl, while he will remain a friend if I can keep him so, will not be a future part of our adventures, particularly once we get to Lemia. Osbert, Soromir, Jace, Orenthal, and Norris remain in addition to myself, and now we have added Icarus and Mome Rath, and though perhaps only for a short time, Malo. There is scarce time to get used to the way things are before they change.

On the third day of our journey, we found the above ground source of the river, and followed the water's trajectory underground for a spell. Then, Mome Rath, with his superior sense of smell, unearthed a hatch, leading to a ladder with more to explore below. I pause to write this as we are set to delve beneath the earth to learn more, but can tarry no longer.

Entry concluded.

Soromir's Journal - Entry 10

To the extent that I know how to mourn, I am in mourning. I really enjoyed Ostar's company and conversation. Though his allegiances were more firm than mine, I found no issue in that. He was an able fighter and rogue. I admired his dexterity and deftness. However, when it is your time, it is your time. Regardless of the fates and regardless of task, trolls are now a sworn enemy of mine and I will kill any I come across.

The urgency of conveying Ostar's message to Black Tom in Lemmia is apparent now. The events of the past week have made that clear. And with Ostar's passing, I feel that this torch passes to me. If Ostar's character and prowess are indicative of the general ilk of Ostar's group "Ichan", I should consider aligning myself with them. We'll see what the prospects are once we make it to Lemmia.

Regarding Ostar's remains: I am not a particularly religious or even spiritual person. However, some kind words from Osbert would be welcomed. I think Ostar would like to be buried where he worked - in the field. He understood the nature of his tasks. He also understood that nothing to unduly burden the delivery of the message to Black Tom.

Once in Lemmia, I will try to get word back to Gnomewood in some fashion that Blackbriar has returned.

To the extent I can call someone a friend, Ostar was a friend. He didn't go quietly into the night and I admire that.

Khalo's Journal: Liberation of Evershade

We sent Ostar ahead to scout the sentry situation between the road and Evershade. I made the initial suggestion. Had I not, I think it is likely that someone else would have, but still, I will carry this on my conscience, and will think of Ostar from time to time, hopefully before I suggest a similar course of action.

But Ostar was captured, and the villians made good on their threats to murder him if we did not abandon our efforts to deliver Evershade from their imposed and unwelcome rule. For our part, we dispatched a good many of them, including another troll, several ogres and men, and one ogre with the ability to cast spells. He took up his strategic position in the air, but once again, I called upon a trusty hippogriff to engage him in combat. The magical flying steed prevailed, as did we, with only a few remaining goblins and men left to flee. I have paused to record this entry prior to conducting a thorough investigation, but I presume that Evershade is now free to return to it's status quo.

I understand there to be an enchanter of goods here, and hopefully also an armor smith who would be willing to help me fashion the thick hide of this troll into a useful protective suit.

Herein, I would also like to record a reminder to myself - when I am able to rememorize spells, I should obtain an animal messenger to deliver a note to our ship captain, so that he knows we are alive and continuing to work on the fresh water problem. I will aim to have Osbert or Jace assist me with the note, as they are both charismatic and articulate individuals. I do not wish to accidentally offend our ride to Lemia, which, I must state again, is still our intended destination.

Finally, having notched another significant combat under my belt, I feel I am growing and developing more skill as a fighter and a team player. Having long been absent an animal companion following the passing of Daisy, I believe I am now ready to recruit a new beast to journey at my side. This time, as the animal's friendship is not bound by familiar ties, I shall endeavor to find one more suited to my personality.

Entry concluded.

Soromir's Journal - Entry 9

So far the strategy of drawing out the group holding Evershade seems to be working. I was impressed with how well it went, frankly. That being said, and I don't know if anyone else in the party noticed this, but I am leary of what lies ahead. My general silence during the combat was because of this. I am very focused on the task at hand and don't have the patience right now for small talk.

The revelation by the mercenary that there is an Ogre Mage to contend with immediately and a Shaman to handle later is also troubling. We have dispatched approximately half of the group holding the town. Dispatching the other half will prove more problematic, especially with the Ogre Mage. This worries me. I do not know if we are ready for an Ogre Mage.

We learned that the water contamination is being caused by this Shaman. Orrenthal suggested we intercept the Shaman first. I think this may be the most prudent course of action if for the only reason that it would solve the water issue. We do not know what kind of reinforcements the Shaman will have though. Nor do we know the origins of the Shaman (Ogre, Human, etc.). This is fog of war I guess.

Right now I am of the mind to pursue the Shaman and handle the remainder in Evershade on the way back. This does put the residents of Evershade at some risk but our mission isn't Evershade, our mission is the water. I like the idea of visiting Herm to get some stuff enchanted but there will be other enchanters on our journey....

This brings up another idea. We could use the residents of Evershade as reinforcements. If Herm is able to enchant items, he might have some skill in casting. I'm also sure there are people capable of holding their own for a while in a fight (especially if the residents of Evershade are as hardy as the people of Riverwood). The variable here would be finding the people of Evershade and they being willing to fight.

This doesn't change my original thinking in line with Orrenthal's but its something to consider.

Regardless of the decision, we have another, larger fight coming. The party members need to have their tactics in order.

Khalo's Journal: It's Only Going to Get Colder

I am sworn to keep the location of my enclave a secret, and therefore dare not to write it down even in the journal I keep for myself, lest it be stolen from me. However, I am not giving anything away by writing that I grew up in a land further south from here. Indeed, MOST places in this realm are south of Jethu, including Lemia, our eventual intended destination.

I have known the cold, but where I come from, it does not arrive so soon. Furthermore, this cold is more akin to the winters I have experienced, and yet it is only fall, which leads me to believe more, and worse, is yet to come.

But I am a druid, and druids prepare for the weather. I took note when Old Jarl said that the Forbidden Isles enjoyed unusually warm weather due to the volcanic activity in the region, so when we prepared to leave that area, I took it upon myself to procure survival gear for a more frigid climate. Perhaps it was a mistake to think that the others would be so attentive to such details. Maybe the fact of Lemia being farther south than Jethu led them to the conclusion that they could provision later, but this is a dangerous assumption.

It was only a couple of days following our arrival in Riverwood when the snow began to fall. Fortunately, Norris was able to magically protect the party from the worst of the weather, but it severely depleted his spells. On the second night, the cold was so acute that we were forced to retreat back to the town so that the others could purchase appropriate gear. More's to my fortune that I already had what I required, since the general store clerk was a vile dwarf.

And so we left Riverwood once again (but not without Orenthal and Soromir starting a fracas with the mayor, which is a conflict that I hope fizzles out) in the direction of Evershade. Before we could reach the town, however, we encountered a wounded man, and learned he served at the behest of the Witches of Jethu. We exchanged information - we gave him intelligence about the redcaps in the area, and he let us know that Evershade was being held hostage by more of the types we fought along the way here - trolls, ogres, goblins, and some ne'er do well men. It seems engaging these villains may be important to decontaminating the river, although I do not yet fully understand the connection that the others suspect. Perhaps I will later. In the meantime, we prepare.

Entry concluded.

Soromir's Journal - Entry 8

The odds of taking Evershade do not appear to be in our favor. Based on what the Agent of the Witches of Jethu told us, the town and townspeople appear to be intact though. This may be an advantage to us if we can plan it out. I would imagine some of the captured would be willing to assist us in the fight. This is their village, afterall.

The interaction with the Agent was interesting. I've never encountered a secret agent before but he was obviously formiddable. He made it through the village alive, though he required some healing. He was loaded with magic stuff. And he was rescued by a giant eagle. That was bitchin'. I gotta think that now that the witches know the redcaps are in Jethu (which apparently they shouldn't be) and given that we saved that agent's life, that has to buy us some credibility and possibly assistance from the Witches. I'm sure Osbert will have some problem with that, but whatever. The saying "there are no atheists in a foxhole" has a parallel - when you're about to die, alignment of the person rendering aid doesn't matter.

My affinity for taking tokens from felled combatants may have a place here, if we are planning on taking the village. I have to get the head back from Orrenthal though. If he's butchered it in his studies, that may be even better. I know that fear works on the goblins, and it will probably work on the humans too. I'm not sure about the trolls and the ogres though.

To me it seems the best course of action is to draw the group holding Evershade out in manageable groups. We should also try to get some intelligence on where the townspeople are being held. The more distractions, the better.

In closing - if you can't give them hell, give them (a) head.