Session 168 Azra Blog Placeholder

Session 167: Ogres, Druids, and Bears! Oh my!

Dictated by Zorla.

It was day 16 of Ready’reat and we were in a room in the basement of the Moathouse. Grug was digging through piles of trash and the rest of the party seemed to be wandering a bit and either watching Grug’s odd behavior or staring at the door to the south. Contristo, who had been watching the door, suddenly cried out that something was coming through it.

He shouted “Ogre!” and scrambled back and away from it. This ogre was smaller than the last one, but had a hungry look in its eye. Don't ask what that looks like. It just looked hungry somehow.

Opelle actually asked the ogre if it spoke common and it answered by swinging its fists at my head. I ducked and Morwenna cast sleep on it, then I slit its throat and closed the door behind it. Grug came running up and was quite bothered that he didn’t get to hit it. He smelled like smoke but I don't know why. The ogre was wearing a tunic with some letters on it but I have no idea what they were. Maybe someone else with an "education" knows.

Morwenna suggested we get out and head back to town before any more ogres showed up. We all agreed and soon emerged from the moathouse into the mid-autumn afternoon.

Back in Hommlet at the Inn of the Welcome Wench, Ostler called Contristo over and offered him a free ale for helping out his friend, Elmo’s father. I forget his name.

Contristo told the innkeeper that we fought two ogres and Ostler's face went pale. He said we needed to report this to Jaroo, the local druid of the grove, to Terjon, the cleric of St. Cuthbert, and of course to Bern and Rufus and to the village elder. Ostler also told Contristo about some local lore of dangerous people but I didn't understand most of it. Just that there were a bunch of bad guys who had done bad things in the past. Something like that. He also mentioned the upcoming meeting of the village elder on day 18 but we already knew about that.

I had to laugh because Ostler then warned Contristo about Furnock, who cheated at cards and regularly fleeced merchants passing through town. No idea how anyone could not have figured that out about Furnock on their own already.

Gremag, Rannos, and Charles then came in and sat together at a table. All of our party members paid for their rooms and Morwenna talked Azra into sharing a room with her. I was going to talk with Charles but that was too many people at one table and those guys talk a lot, so I ignored them.

The serving girl announced mealtime and Grug and Farro both ordered the elaborate dinner. When the food started coming out from the kitchen, the inn's dog—which had always shied away from Grug and even growled at Morwenna—went straight to Grug’s table and started whining and begging. Of course, Grug started slipping him bites of everything he was served. He even gave him bites of peach pie right off his barbarian-sized spoon! That dog ate better than I did. Farro kindly left an extra tip for the cook.

During dinner, Burne came in and sat at a table with Contristo. They talked about Elmo and Burne said there must be a response and restitution for Elmo’s death. He said it must be a powerful necromancer who could create zombies. Contristo told him about the ogres and Burne frowned and shook his head. He said that probably means there are other demi-humankind there, such as goblins, bugbears, gnolls, and maybe even trolls. Burne told Contristo to be cautious and agreed that the creatures could be related to those that had attacked Contristo’s original group on the road to Hommlet.

While they were talking, Burne also did a weird thing. He silently took out a packet of something and handed it to Azra. Contristo raised an eyebrow at that but said nothing. I really wanted to know what was in the packet but was not about to ask Azra, especially because it probably had something to do with magic and I didn't want to get Grug started on that subject.

Furnock had also returned with his cards and dice to a table for the evening. Farro pointed him out to Grug, who sniffed and refused to look at the gambler. I guess he hadn't figured it out for himself. I almost feel sorry for him.

Burne continued talking to Contristo and said there would be a reward from the town plus a reward from Elmo’s father for returning his equipment and defeating whatever evil is at the moathouse. Contristo got that hungry look in his eye at the mention of a reward.

Everyone eventually finished up their dinners and went up to bed.

The next day was day 17 of  Ready’reat. It rained all morning. When Grug went down for breakfast, the inn's dog started following him as soon as he came into the common room. He knows who to beg from now.

When Contristo came down for breakfast, he pulled out two more potions, offered them to Grug, and told him he didn't know what they were but that he was welcome to try them out. I can't believe that big guy never questions anything. He drank one and nothing seemed to happen, but soon after drinking the second one he took off running for the privy and didn't come back for about 15 minutes. No one dared go in there for the rest of the morning.

It was a cold day with all that autumn-season rain and everyone wrapped up in their cloaks. I ran up to the merchant for some more torches and hurried back to the inn.

Farro had announced he was going to the temple of St. Cuthbert but came back looking disappointed as well as soaked-through from the rain. Apparently he had asked the cleric about healing potions or if they needed ingredients for making them and the priest replied that they don't have any available, and they don't have anyone who can make them. Farro was annoyed that the cleric suggested going to a larger city, like Verbobonc.

Azra had also set off with Opelle to go to the grove, but returned quickly to the inn as the temperature dropped. Opelle kept going because she was much warmer than the rest of us in her fancy waterproof cloak. She later told us that the druids actually seemed invigorated by the rain, which I guess makes sense because they're druids. She talked with one of them about the ogres and he asked for a five-gold-piece donation, which she gave him. He then said he would assist with any combat injuries, for a price. Of course.

He also said the druids were interested in more information about the moathouse and might even offer a reward for it. That sounded good to me, but he told Opelle that because of her donation she is now a friend of the grove and wouldn't be attacked by the bear. That's ridiculous. If anyone should be a friend of the grove it's me because Fharlanghn is my diety. I decided to visit and be the one to give them an update the next time we came back to town.

After everyone made it back to the inn, Morwenna suggested we set out for the moathouse. No one was especially excited to go in the rain, but no one disagreed either. We left and trudged through to that dark and creepy place. At least the weather was appropriate for the mood.

That's enough for today. I need to go clean my axe and repair my armor.

Session 166: Grug the destroyer

It's Day 16 of Ready'reat and I (Morwenna) find myself with the party in the moat house looking at the corpse of a defeated ogre. Opelle chipperly suggests looting the corpse while Grug uses his spear to probe around the room. This room was apparently the living quarters of the late ogre and it is disgusting and slovenly. Glancing around the room with a slight feeling disgust, I notice a member of the party I've never met before. I wasn't with the group to fight the ogre, so I don't know when this gentleman joined, but he introduces himself as Crassus. He's a halfling which doesn't inspire too much confidence, but he claims to be a thief, so his occupation may prove him to be a shrewd character. Time will tell.

The party goes about their various tasks, some searching the room, while others eat. Opelle finds a chest and bardiche (some sort of polearm) and Crassus attempts to pick a locked door. When Crassus fails at this pretty basic thief task, Azra uses her elven wits and a simple cantrip to unlock the door. Crassus 0-1. Opelle opens the chest and finds some mundane treasure including glass beads, brass candlesticks, and a mess of coins. Crassus, meanwhile, pokes his head in through the opened door and catches a big snoot full of stink. There is a rotten smell that immediately sends the halfling into waves of nausea and vomiting. Crassus 0-2. Grug, Azra, and I are near the door, but I guess we are made of tougher stuff, because we aren't affected. I take a few steps away from Crassus and his growing pile of sick and sit down to eat.

Opelle seems quite excited about the glass beads and starts counting them while Contristo zeroes in on the coins. Should we be more concerned about overseeing Contristo? Who knows, but he seems to divide the treasure up evenly and fairly. As I finish up my lunch, I see that Farro has joined us and is beaten up and unconscious (possibly from the battle with the ogre, though I don't know where he disappeared to until now). I heal his wounds enough to revive him and we observe the curious actions of Grug.

Grug has begun to act twitchy. He is positively vibrating with agitation. He makes a swift surreptitious movement toward a pile of detritus and then quickly bolts to leave the room. Farro points out this unusual behavior and Grug calls out that he is leaving to relieve himself. There is something off about his demeanor, so I attempt to cast a distract cantrip on Grug, but the oaf somehow overcomes my magic. Azra and Opelle take a beat and then chase after the barbarian, but Grug got a head start. By the time the two clever elves have caught up to him, he is smiling self-satisfactorily and standing over a pile of smoldering, ashy something. The three of them rejoin the rest of us. Azra and Opelle are clearly upset, with Opelle nearly on the verge of madness ranting about how Grug had deprived her of knowledge. We all round on Grug, trying to work out exactly what he had done, but the brutish fellow evades questioning and slips away again proclaiming his need to urinate. Even after returning to the group, Grug seems immune to our interrogations. He simply will not state what it is he found and destroyed. Contristo takes another tack, and offers Grug a potion. Grug willingly accepts and downs it in one. I don't think Contristo knew what the potion would do because it didn't seem to have any effect and Contristo appears disappointed. Note to self: stay on Contristo's good side and don't drink any mystery potions he offers.