I KNEW something would be here to eat my face!!! HEEEERE kitty kitty!!
The big man hunkers down a bit, and hefts his sword over his right shoulder, preparing for a swing when the furball drops.
Rolling from previous healing...
Unrak gets ready...
Round I
1. Marc, Unrak (32/40 hp)
2. Wolverine
3. Taranis (Toth 18/21 hp), Zed, Augrym (28/30 hp)
The creature looks pretty wolverine-ish. Why, and how, it is on the ceiling is a mystery.
The mystery deepens as it makes strange movements and sounds, still affixed to the ceiling.
A moment later, a giant ant warps into existence behind Augrym! It snaps and bites, but the half-orc's armor does its job.
MISS
MISS
Round I
1. Marc, Unrak (32/40 hp)
2. Wolverine
3. Taranis (Toth 18/21 hp), Zed, Augrym (28/30 hp)
"Zed grease that ceiling! Get that thing down here! Toth! Get that ant!"
Taranis casts a spell of Magic Stone, just in case the grease doesn't work.
for
shapeshifting spellcaster!
”Damn you blasted ant! I was going to try out my new alchohol soaked magical helm on the spider-weasel!! Now it will be dead by the time I am finished with you you overgrown insect! I can’t even get into a flanking position to take you down. It’s as if you were designed just to irritate me!!”
Augrym clamly and coolly studies his new opponent and attacks.
Crit threat.
Augrym puts the ant down in a hurry, but not before Toth gets a taste of some delicious ant-carapace.
Round I
1. Marc, Unrak (32/40 hp)
2. Wolverine
3. Taranis (Toth 18/21 hp), Zed, Augrym (28/30 hp)
- Round the First
- Current HPs: 25/25
Zed obeys the tactical instructions and casts Greece on the ceiling, attempting to summon a delicious gyro.
The wolverine delivers a confused growl and falls! Ribs crunch as it plops down next to Unrak.
Round II
1. Marc, Unrak (32/40 hp)
2. Wolverine (3 dmg)
3. Taranis (Toth 18/21 hp), Zed, Augrym (28/30 hp)
My readied action should have gone off...
But since it only hit a 14 it may have missed
Unrak stands above the now prone wolverine, and...
The wolverine gives two loud yelps as Unrak and Marc cut into it. It scrambles to its feet and retreats, yipping and shuddering in a strange fashion.
Round II
1. Marc
2. Wolverine (33 dmg)
3. Taranis (Toth 18/21 hp), Unrak (action pending, 32/40 hp), Zed, Augrym (28/30 hp)
Taranis steps up and lets fly with a magical stone:
, but is way off target. He orders Toth in to fight animal-a-animal.
"Toth! Flank with your uncle!"
The cat skitters across some of the wall by the wolverine.
for
Toth latches on to the wolverine's foot, and Unrak decapitates it! Second later, Taranis' hypothesis proves true as the wolverine changes form back into an old, frail, grimy, dead man.
Taranis knows his own, and shakes his head before offering words to Gorzeh.
"Akiros, who was that?"
Akiros answers when you rejoin him above. "Never knew. He was here before I joined up. No one talked to him. He healed wounds and the like when necessary, but to be honest most avoided him even then."
With the last hostile inhabitant of the Stag Lord's fort dealt with, you take the rest of the day to loot the place. Akiros finds a bottle of something strong and watches in silence.
The vast bulk of the bandit's stolen wealth lies in the cellar. A merchant's dream of pelts, furs, tobacco, iron, bronze, miscellaneous weapons and armors, and other gear are stockpiled in every corner. All told, Zed estimates this stockpile to be worth 6850 gold crowns. You also find a chest containing 21 platinum coins, 894 gold crowns, 2052 silvers, and 4500 coppers, as well as a bag containing approximately 2900 gold crowns' worth of stolen jewelry.
In the armory on the first floor, you find 10 longbows, 260 arrows, 5 short swords, 5 spears, 4 hemp ropes, and 4 suits of leather armor.
In the Stag Lord's reeking chamber, you find two chests holding bedding and other miscellaneous items including a bolt of burlap cloth, old clothing, an iron ring, and three crudely stitched leather masks. In a third chest, you find 141 gold crowns, a polished azurite crystal worth 9 gold, a carnelian worth 80 gold, a piece of hematite worth 13 gold, a shard of obsidian worth 14 gold, a red garnet worth 100 gold, a pewter belt buckle depicting a pair of entwined succubi worth 30 gold, and a silver charm bracelet worth 60 gold.
On the as-yet-unlooted dead, you find three silver stag skull amulets (worth 20 gold each if melted down), two potions of cure moderate wounds, a potion of lesser restoration, a suit of masterwork studded leather armor, a +1 rapier, 58 gold and 2 platinum coins.
You find a pair of horses tied up by the front gate.
One of you notices some markings on the stone walls in various places.
As Taranis tallies the find, he asks his brother to load the horses. The druid eventually addresses the Stag Lord's erstwhile lieutenant.
"Akiros, you have a chance to change your fate. The weather shifts rapidly, but climate is the long term. I'm willing to take a gamble on you. Ride with us. We have a stop to make, but we return to proper civilization soon."
Once packed, Taranis suggests that the party forgo additional exploration until we can unload everything, first stopping at the river crossing to lay a spirit to rest.
”Yes new rage filled friend Akiros, ride with us! I am not sure why good leader friend Taranis is talking of weather, and I am pretty sure that he is making up alternate facts about climate as druids are known to do, but gambling on new friends is always fun and exciting. The Stag Lord caused much havoc in the region and we are going to be laying his body to rest at a spot where his wreaked havoc caused a ghost. This donation of his body should put that issue and ghost to rest.”
”I agree with your other point as well good leader friend Taranis. We should make haste back to Oleg’s in order to sell and trade these wares as well as celebrate this victory. We should be quite proud of ourselves Huntsmen. Now, let us get back to Oleg’s as quickly as possible in order to get as much ale in us as will fit and make inappropriate advances at the people in the tavern!”
Taranis gets an idea. Are there any horses here?
we found 2 horses (besides our own)
I hope there's enough ale. I can fit...a lot.
Take 10 linguistics (+10) = 20
Zed translates... (spoiler above)
Hardy har har...
Zed reports that the graffiti on the wall are symbols of an esoteric cult: the followers of Gyronna, the Angry Hag, Goddess of Spite.
"Civilization," Akiros repeats stonily. "I'll ride with you, but I go my own way when I go my own way."
Unrak and Marc manage to repair and fill a wagon by the front gate, and you load up all seven horses at your disposal.
Zed will copy down some of the key phrases of the graffiti, and any pictures as well.
While the more sturdy fellows repair the wagon and load up their loot, Zed makes another careful examination of the fort, looking to uncover any of its secrets.
He wanders the building and grounds for a few hours with Aurora on his shoulder looking for any secret doors or caches of treasure the group might have overlooked.
Perception take 20+15=35
By the southernmost stair, Aurora pecks Zed painfully in the ear. He looks at his feet and notices thin, unnaturally straight lines in the dirt.
A trap door!
The frail elf calls for help in prying it open, for which Augrym and Unrak are happy to oblige. On the other side is a narrow tunnel that leads outside the fort's walls to another trap door. The tunnel appears old enough that the bandits probably did not realize its existence.
You depart early on the morning of 14th Desnus. With loaded horses and forced to walk under your own power, you gain a newfound appreciation for the beasts that labor so hard on your behalf. It takes nearly a week of hugging the Shrike river to cross the unending hills and reach Nettles' Crossing, but nothing troubles you along the way and you arrive at high noon on 19th Desnus.
The broken bridge and burnt cottage are much the same as you remember, and the river flows swollen by recent rains. There is no sign of the erstwhile Davik.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Taranis ALWAYS respects Gozreh's beats.
Upon arriving at the river, Taranis takes the body unceremoniously off the pack horse. He tosses it with Unrak into the water.
"Davik! Like the breath of Gozreh, we have crashed through the former bandit lord. Now his body is all that remains. Go. Go and join the river of souls to Pharasma's embrace."
After a brief pause, Unrak adds quietly be at peace
Davik's corpse rises from the river, ranseur in hand. Like a great spearfisher, the undead impales the Stag Lord's body and drags it beneath the current into the icy black waters of the river.
A short while later, Davik's ranseur washes up on the riverbank. Zed confirms its magical qualities.
Taranis spends a bit of time in the water, feeling the power of Gozreh literally flow by. He beseeches The green to see Davik to Pharasma's embrace.
"Ah! This weapon is a Ranseur" Zed explains pedantically. He continues, "Note that it is similar in appearance to a trident, but a ranseur has a single spear at its tip, flanked by a pair of short, curving blades."
Zed shows the weapon to his compatriots and begins droning on about its magical enchantment and the intricacies of what he refers to as hydromancy. Ironically, it gets dry quickly.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Unrak takes the weapon and gives it a few practice swings, grunting with satisfaction at the balance. Zed! Let me try something...hold this!. He sticks a fair-sized twig bereeen the mage’s lips, making it stick out several inches. The warrior takes a couple quick steps back, winds up mightily, and hauls off a gargantuan swing directly at the twig...maybe. He stops the swing before taking Zeds head off, then gives him a gentle slap on the cheePerfect!
With the incidental benefit of the twig forcing the wizard to shut up for a moment, the group gets a break from Zed's discussion of the finer 'points' of the trident/ranseur dichotomy.
Augrym stars at the spectacle and cocks his head to the side in confusion.
”Weird friends Huntsmen, perhaps we should return to Oleg’s as it seems the wilderness and fighting is giving a need to a long overdue vacation.”
Zed looks around for any reason NOT to proceed back to Oleg's, and seeing none prompts the group onward, "Onward!"
Another four days' travel finds you back, finally, at Oleg's Trading Post near midday on 23rd Desnus. Kesten, Jhod, and both Levetons are overjoyed to hear the news of your success in the south, and express hope for a new era in the Stolen Lands.
Kesten immediately dispatches two of his soldiers back to Restov with news. He also takes one look at the head of Falgrim Sneeg and replies, "Yes, that's him. Two weapons is what I promised, yes? What will it be?"
Oleg, usually sour, is downright mirthful. So mirthful, in fact, that he offers to buy your entire haul, writing a writ of debt and promising to provide hard coin as soon as he is able.
You take a few days to relax at Oleg's after two hard months of criss-crossing the Stolen Lands, and enjoy Svetlana's excellent home-cooked meals.
A week later , Kesten's men return from Restov -- but not alone. Accompanying them is a member of the Swordlords and a contingent of Restov lancers. The Swordlord, a stylish, confidant woman in full battle dress, dismounts from her horse to introduce herself. "Greetings from Restov! I am Jamandi Aldori, one of Restov's swordlords. And you are the Greenbelt expedition that we have been hearing so much about!"
She signals to one of her men, who joins another in bringing an iron-bound chest over to you and plopping it in the dirt. "We understand from Mr. Leveton here that the Stag Lord has been slain, and you are to thank. You brought no body as proof, but fortunately word has reached us from several sources that bandit activity has all but ceased for the moment. And so!" She flips open the lid, revealing 5000 gold crowns in a nice, glittery mass inside. "Please accept this as your due reward!"
Jamandi clears her throat. "And another matter. Given your success, we Swordlords have decided to make a more committed investment in you. Tomorrow, a large wagon train with building supplies, livestock, and settlers will arrive here in the Greenbelt." Oleg, listening in, groans audibly, but Svetlana tells him to hush. Jamandi continues. "We put these resources at your disposal and these Rostlanders under your charge, and invite you to establish a permanent settlement here in the Greenbelt."
She flashes a knowing, daring smile. "May it be the first such settlement to withstand the test of time in the Stolen Lands."
Your minds race to consider the possibilities!
Thinking over your travels, there are several places where you might establish your settlement. Oleg's Trading Post is an attractive crossroads with an established place of business, though Oleg himself might not like it. There is the Temple of the Elk in the Narlmarches, which might be remade into a functioning shrine to Old Deadeye. And then there is the Stag Lord's old fort on the bank of the Tuskwater to the south, centrally located in the surrounding region. And, of course, there may be other locations that come to mind.
The week's time has given Unrak a chance to unwind, and he's been downright calm, comparatively. The big man has taken (after about a day & a half of revelry that was perhaps a bit too strong to be good for him) to tending his appearance a bit--most notably combing out his normally unruly red hair & beard. He's been taking time to be alone, communing with nature and picking up various apparently worthless things (certain pebbles, roots, berries, etc) and stowing them in various pouches.
Replying to Kesten, Unrak speaks up I need a greatsword. Not sure what else we're going to pick...what do you say, boys? Who needs a weapon?
Upon the arrival of the Swordlord & her contingent, Unrak greets her with with a big grin and as courtly a bow as his big frame can manage. Greetings. We are who you've heard about--we call ourselves the Huntsmen! And hunting has been good.
Having grown up with the Swordlords, Augrym greets her in a respectful Swordlord greeting.
”Greetings, m’lady.
Augrym shows her the Stag Lord’s helm.
”Behold the previous Stag Lord’s previous helmet. I have claimed his helmet and his title in the name of the great huntsman Erastil. Look at me. I am the Stag Lord now. I will continue to help this group known as the huntsmen build on these stolen lands and bring honour to Erastil and to the name of the Aldori Swordlords. You show us much respect for entrusting us with this task.”
Something about the way he’s talking and doing his absolute best to stand as upright as possible makes all of you think that Augrym is doing his very best to show respect but clearly needed many lessons to do so.
| 3 people marked this as a favorite. |
On the first night back, after completing these long two months, Augrym takes off his armor and allows himself to relax. He kneels down to pray...
”God friend Erastil, thank you for watching over us. We have named ourselves the huntsman, to honour you. We have put one of your priests at a fallen shrine to you to fix it up. We have taken down the Stag Lord who dishonoured you with his name, and I have taken on the mantle to take back the phrase and rebuild the name of Stag. I wear this crown now as it is clearly attuned to you. All of this because of the path you showed us and have helped us survive on. And, as a gift, you put in front of us a new challenge in our new rage filled friend Akiros. He has not told us much about himself but he seemed to pause in his fight next to the Stag Lord after I mentioned your name. Maybe he really likes you and was confused when he signed up for the Stag Lord thinking he was a follower. I may never know. But I feel like he could be an ally on the road ahead and I feel like I could, with your guidance, bring him back on the path of the hunt. Please help me in this quest.”
And then Augrym gets up, cleans off the dirt of the road for the first time in a while, and sleeps a deep sleep dreaming of his greatest hunts. If you could see into his room, you could see his arms motioning like a dog is dreaming of running.
In the middle of the night, Akiros is woken up by a wet feeling on his face as something is clearly licking it. He opens his eyes to see a large elk (Megaleceros) licking his face. He screams. It screams and runs away. It busts through his door and straight through Aurgym’s door and jumps into bed with the Orc and is clearly frightened. Augrym gets the beast settled and brings him outside for feeding and to take care of it. He falls asleep in the stables with the beast. In the morning...
”Good morning new elk friend. You must be the answer to my prayers to Erastil. I feel like this friendship is a gift from him, and I will protect you with my life. I shall name you Grimstagg, after the herald of Erastil known as the Grim White Stag. We will need to get you some armor if you are to come with us on our journey.”
Over the months of rest, Augrym and Grimstagg become close friends and do their best to become friends with Akiros. No matter how much he asks though, Grimstagg won’t tell Augrym how he got into Akiros’ room that night, nor how he closed the door behind him. Augrym spent some time fixing these doors as well, but he never moved back into his room and sleeps each night, outside with Grimstagg.