In our last session, our heroes defended Rooksten from an attack by a warband of orcs. Orcs looking for Chuck! Casualties among the good guys were low–two of Rooksten’s guards. The bad guys were decimated with only the shaman/priest, a four-armed orc, escaping by fleeing. After resting and recovering overnight, the Clerics Three split up. Most headed off in search of the missing villagers while Alaric and Chuck remained in Rooksten to protect Bale and his wagon which, of course, is what the group had been hired to do. Cora led the others, following the tracks, and came to the edge of the Oldscrag Forest where a waterfall tumbled over a rocky shelf. A cave was behind this waterfall and Cora started to peek in. That is where we pick up after the break.
Jason was missing and so Muse played Chuck while Todd played Cora in Bridgett’s absence. This write-up is from RJ and my GM comments are in [brackets and italics] as usual. Bridgett was not able to join us so Rachel played Cora. There are potential spoilers for “Storm King’s Thunder” from Wizards of the Coast but it has been significantly modified for our use.
Cora slips behind the waterfall. She can’t make out anything and can’t hear anything due to the waterfall. She comes out and signals Delg to come up and take a look. Delg looks in and sees a cavern with stalactites, stalagmites, and columns–almost in a wall about 20 feet in. There are some ledges to the left and right of the cave opening and a pool of mud with what looks like a stone in the middle. Delg steps out and lets everyone know what he had seen. The party decides to head in.
Delg casts light on his shield and moves in first, heading for the wall of columns, with the rest of the party following. After we got a short distance in, a goblin voice comes from the ledge to the right, yelling out “Bruce!” Something in the pool of mud stirs and stands up, it is a humanoid creature covered in mud but much bigger and says “Oh, dwarf.”
Cora yells out, in Giant, “Stop!”
The creature (Bruce) yells back in the same language, “No, you stop. Barb, we got company.”
A female Ogre (Barb) steps between the columns and, looking at the party asks, “How you get out?”
Delg says, “We had to go to the bathroom. We will head back now.”
She says, “You pee in river? Eww! We wash in river.”
Bruce steps out of the mud and heads out to the cave opening, stepping under the waterfall. He starts washing the mud away and we see that he is naked.
[Thor voice on…”Oh, it’s in my head now.”…Thor voice off.]
Barb says, “You go back now.” Then takes another look, “Why you have weapons?”
Otilia responds, “It is dangerous to go pee.”
Barb says, “You drop weapons and go back to jail.”
We decide not to lay our weapons down, and Cora fires an arrow at Barb. Barb yells “Oww.” Delg attacks with a guiding bolt but then is hit in the back with an arrow from the ledge. Bruce roars and raises his fists, smashing them down on Trogar and squashing the guard. Another arrow comes out of the dark and hits Otilia from the other ledge. She decides to put light on a rock and throw it up on the ledge, then she yells “Bomb! We got 30 seconds before it blows.” Barb attacks Delg, but he throws up a divine flare, throwing her attack wide. Delg calls on Helm to help and a flaming sphere appears, ramming into Barb.
Barb goes down and Bruce stars to wail.
Delg climbs up the ledge to his right and takes out one goblin and shoots at another.
The Goblin on the ledge with the “bomb” picks it up and throws it back at Otilia. It hits her in the chest and lands at her feet. The goblin cheers thinking she is going to blow up, but Otilia just picks it up and throws it back on to the ledge. The cheer is cut short as the goblin jumps off the ledge and thuds on the ground. He stand up and then falls flat on his face dead. We think there was another goblin, but he is nowhere to be seen.
Pallas and Bruce are exchanging blows as Pallas tries distracting Bruce by asking questions. Where are the prisoners? Who is the boss? Where is the boss?
Bruce responds between tears, “Not prisoners. Guests.” “Hark is boss”. “He in his cave.” Bruce tries to smash Pallas but never connects, his grief and sobbing throwing off his attacks. Bruce falls to our attacks. We check and find that Trogar is dead.
[I don’t think I rolled above a 2 on Bruce’s attacks against Pallas so the narrative became that he was too distraught to fight effectively. It had the added benefit of making Rachel feel bad about killing Bruce…mission accomplished! Poor ogre just taking a bath and murder hobos come in an kill his mate for no good reason.]
We look around the cavern. The columns border off a small chamber filled with furs. It looks like the ogres were sleeping in there. The column wall goes around in a circle and offers some privacy for the two ogres. Otilia looks thru the furs but doesn’t find anything.
Starlord voice on…”If we had a black light, it would look like a Jackson Pollock painting”…Starlord voice off.]
Delg sees several different tunnels leading out of this main cave. The group remembers Barb pointing to the back when she was describing where we should go to get back with the others. So we decide to check out the tunnel in the back first.
It goes about thirty feet and then there is a crevice about 10 feet wide, it is about 20 feet deep and has a slow-moving creek running thru it. On the other side the crevice the tunnel continues and goes around a corner.
[Clearly, the players were off their game. This was the tunnel that just led off…somewhere. Normally, they just head off down tunnels and corridors for miles and miles, not leading anywhere. 😛]
We decide to back out and check out another tunnel in the back. This one goes about 10 feet in and then there is sink hole that is about 30 feet across, we hear the flapping of wings coming from the hole. Across the sink hole are various ledges with a lot of people. Someone there says, “Shhhhh.”
We back away from the hole. Pallas spots a dwarf and, believing it is the innkeeper Morak, sends a magical message to him, letting him know that we are here to help. Via the message cantrip, the pair have a short and quite conversation. Morak explains that Rooksten was attacked. The villagers first fled towards the keep but the bridge was destroyed. The Dripping Caves seemed like the next best option when being bombarded by stones thrown by giants. No one knew that goblins had taken up residence in the caves. With no real choice, they had to agree to the goblin offer–the villagers could shelter here if they goblins could go “live” in the village for a bit. The ogres then put a tree trunk across the sinkhole and the villagers were all ushered across.
Morak also shared that bats inhabit a chamber lower down in the sinkhole. Loud noise agitates them and causes them to fly up; this had already scared the villagers previously.
Pallas shared that Lady Jegerlen had been killed. Morak asks that this not be shared yet as it might be too much for many to handle right now. The innkeep also shared that Marga was missing. The goblins had taken her somewhere else.
[Marga was Lady Jegerlen’s court lady.]
Meanwhile, back in the village, a guard comes up to Alaric and asks to speak to him in private. They head into the village square where the others won’t overhear. Chuck notices this and, attempting to be nonchalant, walks around the square trying to hear the conversation. The guard introduces himself as Sylfest and says, “My lord, Lady Jegerlen’s wedding ring is missing.” Alaric looks around sees Chuck in the square (how can you miss him in that cloak), whistling.
Alaric and Sylfest have a discussion about the ring. The guard shares that the last time that he saw it was back when Lady Jegerlen was still pinned under the boulder. Sylfest had already retraced the path on which they brought the Lady’s body to the temple. He had not found the ring. Sylfest speculated that almost anyone could have taken it from her body during the orc attack or later. Alaric tells Sylfest not to mention this to anyone. He says that he going to the temple and if Chuck follows him to distract him. Sylfest agrees and walks straight to Chuck.
[Sylfest’s “cop” senses got set off by Alaric’s request and he immediately assumed that Chuck was the prime suspect.]
Sylfest requests that Chuck assist him with something. Chuck asks why as the pair start heading towards the keep. The guard explains that the treasury is unguarded now and if Chuck helped him get through the door, they could split it. Chuck hesitantly agrees. When they get to the bridge leading to the keep, Sylfest looks at Chuck and says, “You would really have done it?” As Sylfest turns and woaks away, Chuck watches him leave in confusion, deciding that he’ll take his time wandering back to the village square and the temple.
Alaric returns to the temple. As he walks in, Nefton is talking about Suzie and how it was difficult since she wasn’t human, some of the pilgrims nod their heads, agreeing that mixed relationships with elves is hard. Nefton looks like he is going to explain more [like Suzie being a pig], but Alaric cuts him off.
Alaric speaks quietly toe Bale and the pair head to the temple’s back room [which is also where the Lady’s body had been placed prior to the battle]. Alaric asks if Bale had seen anyone come back here during the prior night’s battle. As Bale had his chests just outside of the entrance to the room and never let them out of his sight, he confirmed that no one got in through the door. Alaric shares that the Lady’s ring is missing. It is clear the Bale that it wasn’t taken during the battle…unless someone got in through the bell tower. Bale also shares that her ring was something of a family heirloom and very important to the Jegerlens.
Bale suggest that perhaps one of the pilgrims took it. He also shares that he might have a resource that could help. However, it is rather costly so he’d rather not use it if possible. Alaric assures the gnome that he has a plan. He’ll gather everyone and use his power as a paladin to find out the truth. Bale starts to gather everyone in the main temple and Alaric heads off to find Sylfest and Chuck. Finding the former, Sylfest shares what had just happened between he and Chuck. Alaric sends Sylfest to the temple and waits for Chuck.
Chuck, meanwhile, had been slowly making his way back. The cat owl flies up, gets his attention, and points back towards the village square a little more quickly. Finding only Alaric, Chuck asks what is going on and Alaric explains that everyone is in the temple waiting.
The pair head in, finding Nefton in mid-explanation of what poor bandits he and his boys had been. Alaric cuts him off and tells everyone to quiet down. Sylfest shifts position so he is blocking the exit. Alaric draws his sword, holding it point down and resting his hands on the pommel. He explains that Lady Jegerlen’s wedding ring is missing and that he is going to determine who took it. Praying out loud to Tyr for guidance, he watches everyone…especially Chuck.
[We all, as players, knew that Chuck had taken it. Alaric did not know this. However, he had Chuck have a little history prior to their introduction to the campaign AND Chuck has expressed a fairly strong interest in, well, treasure.]
The pilgrims are looking at each other confused. Chuck, for his part, doesn’t show the slightest hint of guilt. [Natural 20 on the Deception check.] Nefton raises his hand. Alaric looks at him and asks, with frustration, what he wants.
Nefton explains, “Well sir, I don’t think me or my boys took the ring but could you describe it so we can know if we have it on our person?”
Alaric responds, “Do you have any rings on you?” Nefton says no and Alaric says, “Then you are fine.”
[Nefton is so fun to play. The collective groans from the players when Nefton opens his mouth only makes it more fun! 😛 ]
Radovan steps forward and tells Alaric that he is willing to be searched as he has nothing to hide. Alaric appreciates the gesture and starts to search him. The ring is not on him. Alaric indicates that everyone will be searched and no one objects. The search turns up nothing. Bale suggests that everyone’s belongings also be searched. Alaric tells everyone to gather their belongings. Pulling Bale aside, he lets the gnome know the resource may be needed. Bale says it is out in his wagon and that Alaric should come with him. Alaric tells Sylfest not to let anyone out.
Alaric and Bale enter the wagon and Bale opens one of his chests, pulling out a forked stick with runes on it. Alaric tells Bale that we will reimburse him the cost. Bale asks that Alaric just vouch for him to the Jegerlen family about his help in resolving the issue. Bales says that it will take about an hour for him to be ready to use the device.
In the temple, Chuck insists that he needs to go outside to relieve himself. Sylfest refuses to allow him to leave. When Alaric and Bale return, the guard shares this encounter. Alaric insists that Chuck come outside with him. Chuck starts to head right for a nearby outhouse. Alaric stops him and insists that he just pee on a nearby push. Chuck hems and haws about how the outhouse would be better until Alaric straight up asks, “Did you take the ring?”
When they come back inside Slyfest tells Alaric that Chuck wanted to go out to pee. Alaric goes to chuck and tells him to come with him. Chuck starts heading to the outhouse but Alaric tells him to stop and to pee on the bush over here. Chuck is adamant that he go to the outhouse and Alaric tells him no and asks directly “Did you take the ring?”
Chuck asks, just hypothetically, what Alaric would do if he had taken it. That, Alaric notes, would depend on how the ring was found…whether Chuck hands it over or if Alaric finds out in some other fashion that he had taken it. Chuck takes his boot off and hands over the ring. Cat owl, who had been watching all of this, looks very disappointed in Chuck.
After Chuck visits the outhouse, they head back into the temple. Alaric quietly tells Bale not to worry about using his resource and then searches through everyone’s belongings. While looking thru the pilgrims belongings, he notices that there are weapons–daggers, crossbows, bolts, chain shirts–raising suspicions that they may be more than just pilgrims. After searching the belongings, Alaric tells everyone that they can all back to what they were doing.
[Kemma’s belongings were not searched. She said that she had left them all back in her room in the Rook’s Inn.]
Back at the cave, we came up with a plan to have Delg–with his Monkey Grip wraps–climb over to the ledges and bring folks back one at a time. It was going to take some time, but we all thought it was the safest way to do it. Eventually, Delg gets everyone across, villagers introducing themselves as the cross. One older lady tells Delg that he is such a sweet boy and how happy she was that Lady Jegerlen had sent him to save them. A halfling child started braiding Delg’s beard. Pallas shares that they had recovered many items in Rooksten that the goblins had taken but sorting that out would have to wait until later when all were safely back.
As there were six village guards with the “guests,” we decided to have them escort the villagers back to Rooksten. We gave them what weapons we could spare and they set out for Rooksten, taking Trogar’s body with them as well.
We set out to find Marga. We check out another tunnel and find a small cavern with green mushrooms and a pool of water. Delg picks one and eats it, yumm. Otilia, in the rear, lets out a yelp of pain. Some black ooze creature had struck her with a pseudopod. We attack the creature. Otilia, frustrated with all the work this rescue mission is resulting in for her, puts her hand on the creature and zaps it with some kind of necrotic spell. It looks hurt and slithers into a crack into the cave. We decide to leave it alone and head back.
[There were a series of tunnels that led to this mushroom chamber. One had a large stalagmite with various cracks in it. The ooze retreated into one of these cracks.]
When we get back to the main cavern, Pallas heals Otillia since she was in bad shape. [Her armor was also damaged by the touch of the ooze.]
We head down another tunnel. Going down this tunnel there is an opening to our left but it is blocked by a boulder. We can’t move it and seems pretty stuck in the opening.
We continue on and come to a bend to the right, we head down, and hear a goblin voice yell out, “Stop! Bad humans! You break deal!” As we come in closer, a couple of torches are lit to reveal we are in cavern with several rats the size of big dogs and about five goblins, one has a knife to a woman’s throat. One of the goblins is standing on a rock, he says, “You killed Bruce and Barb. You come into my home without asking. We took in people for safety.” We start to argue with him, but he says, “You shut up or we kill this one.” The woman looks scared as the goblin yells, “You owe Hark!” Delg asks what we owe. The goblin asks how many we had killed and Delg says three. The goblin says we owe 30 gold and we agree. We are instructed to leave the gold and then leave the caves. After that, the woman will be released to us. When we get back to Rooksten, we are to tell the goblins there that they are to return to the caves. We agree but tell him that if he doesn’t let her go, we will come back in and get her.
We leave and head out of the caves, passing under the waterfall. The woman soon follows us out and we learn she is, in fact, Marga. Like some of the other villagers, she says she is so happy that Lady Jagerlen sent us. We don’t tell her about the Lady’s death and head back to Rooksten.
Back at the village there is a shout as Morak and the villagers return. They are let in. Sylfest greets them and lets them know about Lady Jegerlen’s death. This is another blow to the villagers and many seem to be in shock. Sylfest introduces the guards, Morak, and Hildolf to Alaric. This group tries to get everyone organized and get hot meals ready. Sylfest recommends that they get Lady Jegerlen ready for internment. Alaric tells Hildolf, the acolyte, that Radovan is here to see him. Hildolf looks confused and asks, “Who?” Alaric repeats that it is Radovan the pilgrim, the one you were exchanging letters with. The acolyte says that he doesn’t know anyone named Radovan. Alaric is not pleased to hear this and the grim look on his face appears to scare Hildolf.
Eventually, the rest of the party with Marga return. We meet up with Alaric and Chuck and explain what all happened. The villagers go back to their homes and start to put their lives back together.
Later, Alaric grabs Chuck and makes sure that no one notices them leaving. They head back to the keep. Inside, Alaric leaves the ring by the boulder that had crushed Lady Jegerlen. As they head back to everyone else, Alaric tells Chuck, “I don’t mind covering for you, but I am not going to lie for you. If this happens again…”
When they get back, the rest of us are doing what we can to help the villagers. Alaric gets us all together and explains that Hildolf didn’t know about Radovan or the letter that Radovan claimed had come from him. He also shares that the pilgrims various weapons in their belongings and never mentioned this. It was suggested that Alaric ask Kemma about it, but he’s not sure that is good idea. Alaric has some suspicions about her. He then heads to the inn to search Kemma’s things. Her belongings, however, are no longer there.
We spend the rest of the day preparing to intern Lady Jegerlen, handle the rest of the deceased, and to burn the orc, ettin, and goblin bodies outside of the village. Alaric asks Hildolf if there is anything that needs to be interned with Lady Jegerlen and the acolyte says the ring. Alaric grabs Sylfest and another guard and head back to the keep, explaining that no one has looked for it there. Sylfest spots the ring next to the boulder. As they head back, Sylfest indicates that he still doesn’t trust Chuck and Alaric encourages him to keep an eye on the wizard.
As they are walking back, cat owl flys over and starts waving his [or her] wings in alarm, pointing back to the town square. Alaric starts to run.
A shout comes from the temple and Nefton and the boys come out. Pallas asks, “What happened?” Nefton says, “I rightly don’t know. Acolyte Hildolf grabbed his chest and just fell over.”
[And that is where we ended the session.
Honeymooning ogres everywhere beware! Murderhobos are on the loose! Running a bed and breakfast in a cave? I sure hope you’re not a goblin! Vigilantes are going to shut you down…violently if necessary!
Poor Bruce. Poor Barb. Poor goblins. Mean murderhobos!
Everyone did great with the fact that they all knew that Chuck had taken the ring but their characters did not. It was fun getting to the bottom of a mystery to which the answer was already known while pretending to not know whodunnit.
Station: Bruce Springsteen…aka The Boss…for the goblin boss, Hark.
Beer Log: Here’s what we sampled this session, using, as always, our hit, miss, crit, and fumble rating scale.
- Creature Comforts Tropicalia: Thanks to RJ! Never going to say no to this one. Even Muse liked it! A solid hit.
- Proof Cherry Limeade Evil Kiss: Yum! Tart and fruity with a tang and very tasty. Another solid hit!.]
