The Side Quest: Session 2 (Part 1)

Our regular campaign was put on hold again this past session because both RJ and Todd were missing. So, as is now our backup plan, we played The Side Quest again with only one player, Theo, who played in the prior Side Quest session joined by Muse and Rachel, both playing The Side Quest for the first time. Two random characters were created for both of them:

• Callie Greenbottle: A halfling fighter (duelist) who is a former highway robber and is played by Muse. Callie wants to be rich and famous and will take great risks to achieve both.
• Grim Tallstag: A less than aptly named human wizard who was an urchin and is played by Muse. Grim is looking to expand his magical repertoire and does not like to have the mismatch between his small stature and his name to be pointed out.
• Morgraen Brawnanvil: A dwarven rogue and former military scout played by Rachel. Preferring the direct and simple approach to solving problems, Morgraen has difficulty admitting that she’s wrong.
• Riordan Oakenheel: An elven cleric of Oghma and discredited academic played by Rachel. Riordan has some rather unorthodox theories and seems to be torn between sharing his thoughts and keeping them secret.

Riordan, who has something of an obsession with books and knowledge (and some less than commonly accepted theories on many of the topics of said books), had been discredited from his academic post. In his studies or discussions, he had heard of a fabled library that contained many rare books that was said to be hidden in a valley up in the Nether Mountains, near the settlement of Hawk’s Nest. This library is guarded and cared for by a most unusual ogre.

Not wanting to travel alone in the wilds and having had something of a sheltered life, Riordan sought out a guide who could assist him in his search. This help initially took the form of a dwarven woman, Morgraen Brawnanvil, who claimed to have served as a scout for one of the southern dwarven clans before she had come north to seek out fame and adventure. This pair was joined by a scrawny and short young man who had overheard the deal struck by the pair in one of Neverwinter’s many taverns. With his small stature, wild orange hair, and freckles, not only was Grim Tallstag inappropriately named but he looked nothing like a typical “adventurer” type. He did, however, want to seek his fortune and, hopefully, magical knowledge. Why study under some bossy mentor when you can go out and find the knowledge yourself?

The trio set out together for Hawk’s Nest and Hell’s Haven. As they camped one night, they were not alone. A small halfling, Callie Greenbottle, eyed the group from her hiding spot a short distance away. It became quite apparent that the elf must have something valuable in his pack given how he protectively held it and even used it as a pillow when he settled down to sleep. Although her preferred “prey” were the rich, this person did look to have lived a rather comfortable and pampered life and could easily be one of her favored prey.

So when they all settled down to sleep, Callie crept forward. With a deft touch, she swapped the elf’s pack pillow for a nearby cloak and slinked back to her hiding spot to peruse her new prize. Not only was it disappointing to not find any “shinys” or anything else of value but it also upset Callie. This was not the pack of a rich person. To make amends, she crept back and swapped the pack in for the pillow. Just as she was finishing, one of the elf’s companions, the dwarf, woke and asked just exactly what she thought she was doing. Callie quickly explained that she had spotted an animal nosing about the pack and she shooed it off and had just finished checking the pack to make sure it was undamaged.

The now awake trio didn’t seem to believe her at first but then some movement and snuffling about in the nearby bushes corroborated the halfling’s story. Callie introduced herself and asked if she could camp with them. Agreed, everyone shared the reasons that they were traveling. When it became clear that the trio were heading to Hell’s Haven, Callie said that she would join them.

In the morning, the now quartet set of and soon discovered that they had camped only a couple of miles away from Hawk’s Nest. They decided that they’d go ahead and stop instead of pushing on to Hell’s Haven. A hot, civilized breakfast and possibly some news of the region might be nice. They got something of the former and little of the latter. Outside of learning that it was still relatively early in the “adventuring season,” another group had just left earlier that morning for Hell’s Haven. At Callie’s insistence, breakfast was quickly wolfed down so they could get on their way and not let this other group find all of the shinys first!

A few hours later, the group caught their first sight of the wall at Hell’s Haven. Impressive as the this sight may be, they had business and quickly entered. As with the adventurers who had entered just a bit earlier, a scruffy looking dwarf greeted them. He explained the rules of Hell’s Haven that can essentially be distilled down to entry is free but exiting costs. He offered to take the group up to the top of the wall for a look at the valley for the cost of 1gp per person. Everyone but Riordan accepted and got a good look. Callie also bought the map of the valley that was offered as well.

Since another party had just recently entered the valley, Riordan and his group would have to wait for about fifteen or twenty minutes and then they’d be searched, belongings inventoried, and then allowed into the valley. And that is exactly what happened. As they waited though, they heard a loud horn blow a few times [the horn that blew while the other party had dallied around the cave entrance that they had headed for in our prior session].

The group set off for the closest cave on the valley’s floor on the north slope [the opposite side that the prior party set off for]. A sidetrack led off from the main path on this side of the valley directly to this cave. As they got closer, they were interrupted before they could enter or scout the cave much. Bursting forth from the cave closest to the wall on the southern side of the valley. An ogre also sprinted out of the next closest cave on that side, bellowing “LUNCH!” A couple dozen dwarves atop the wall began drumming and banging on shields, chanting, in time to their banging, “Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!” One dwarf, however, stood a little distance apart and did not join in on the commotion. Dressed in brown leathers and wearing a wide-brimmed leather hat pulled down to shade his features, he rested a crossbow over his shoulder. The other dwarves were clearly deferential to him.

As that other party started sprinting for the relative safety of the wall with the ogre hot in pursuit, it was clear to Riordan’s crew that there was no way that this other group could outrun the ogre. Callie and Grim quickly ducked into a nearby copse of trees and scrambled up a couple of them, hoping to avoid being noticed. Riordan, however, started moving towards the commotion on the other side of the small river! Morgraen was following a short distance behind not really sure what Riordan had in mind.

On the other side of the river, the ogre was closing the gap as a dwarf and an elf [Gurdis and Aramil]broke off from their main group. As the others in the group kept running for the wall, this duo took up a defensive stance to meet the ogre’s charge, prepared to die a heroic death to let the others reach safety.

Resigned to their deaths, imagine their surprise as another elf came running, leaping across the water, waving a book in the air, and shouting, “Crunch! Come fetch!” The ogre stopped in his tracks…looking at his fleeing lunch…at Riordan…back at lunch…back at Riordan…and then took off at a sprint towards the book-waving fool!

Morgraen was quite confused by this scene while Callie figured that was pretty much of that crazy elf. Gurdis and Aramil thought about running for the wall but when the ogre grabbed the other elf and caused him to shout, “Help me!” The pair turned back to this elf’s aid. Having grabbed Riordan, the ogre shouted out lunch and then started back towards the cave from which it had come.

Gurdis and Aramil moved to intercept the ogre before it could reach the cave. As they did so, it threatened to bite off the head of the “groceries” that it was carrying. With that, Riordan started to yell, “Save yourselves!” This gives everyone enough pause that the ogre reaches its cave and disappears inside with Riordan.

[That wasn’t the end of the session but it seems a good point to stop for now. Either Riordan is completely crazy and has now became a snack or perhaps he knew something that the others didn’t. The rest of the session will follow in the next couple of days.]