Session 173 "Fire in the hole!" Day 19 and 20 of Ready'reat

The group gathered back together the evening of day 19 of Ready'reat at the Inn of the Welcome Wench. The group decided to order dinner and discuss their plans. The dinner choices included grilled trout, mushroom stew, or a seven-course meal, with varying prices. The party's spokesperson and caller for the session was a topic of discussion, with Contristo being a default character leader. It was noted that Azra would likely participate in any discussions. 

The group then turned its attention to three fighters who had recently arrived: Melissa, Jensen, and Nathaniel. These fighters, hired by Rufus, were introduced as frontline fighters, each with different weapon preferences: broadsword, warhammer, and battle-axe, respectively. They mentioned experience fighting various creatures, including brigands and other humanoids, and highlighted their preference for organized combat. The fighters also expressed loyalty to Hommlet and Rufus, expecting a share of any treasure found. They agreed to meet the party at 9:00 AM the following morning to go to the moat house.

After dinner, the party members discussed their plans and settled their lodging expenses, with Zorla and Contristo paying for additional nights. The next morning, the party prepared to leave, with breakfast options including a plain meal or an elaborate one, and the ability to purchase sack lunches. Oppelle bought six vials of oil and prepared them with wicks. The party then moved to the main map, with Contristo leading the group through the town. 

The party met the three fighters and prepared for the journey to the moat house. A marching order was established, with Melissa and Zora in the front rank, followed by Jensen and Nathaniel, and JT in the third rank. The party proceeded to the moat house, encountering snow and some covered tracks in the grove. Upon reaching the moat house, the party decided to plan their next steps and revisit the location where they encountered ogres and gnolls. They were wary of a potential ambush in the corridor. It was observed that no new footprints were visible, and even their own previous tracks seemed to be swept clean.

The party gathered in a cold, damp room, discussing possible plans of attack. They decided against checking the side rooms, aware that the rats would likely be there. The group discussed various strategies, including luring the enemy into a trap and setting up an ambush of their own. There was a debate over the potential locations of an enemy ambush and the use of a trap. The possibility of an ambush from both east and west was raised. The group also discussed using magic for reconnaissance, but found their current magical resources limited.

Morwenna experimented with a glass eye of the seer, but it did not seem to have any immediate effect. The party debated sending Farro ahead to scout. There was a discussion about the potential ambush location, with an emphasis on the stairs and the room at the bottom. The discussion included reviewing a map of the area. A plan was formed to check out the west first.

The party discussed the likelihood of a necromancer being present. They debated the usefulness of stealth and recon, as well as a rush attack using a shield wall and missile weapons. The group noted they had no stealthy characters besides Farro. They considered different spells that could be useful, but determined that none would work at the moment. The party also reflected on their previous experiences in the location.

The party ultimately decided to send a scout to investigate another way down via the zombie room. The group recalled burying the zombies and whether the enemy would be aware of that. The party considered sending scouts down both staircases but decided on the zombie room route. Farro volunteered to scout and snuffed out the light source before heading down the stairs. It was suggested that the elves would have an advantage with dark vision. Opelle attempted to use a portent spell on Farro, but the spell was not well understood. Farro proceeded to scout the area. He found the room quiet, and the doors where the zombies had appeared were open, and reported that the temperature was moderate. After scouting the zombie room, Farro reported his findings to the group. The party agreed to move through the zombie room, and Morwenna was concerned about being sandwiched.

The group discussed who should be responsible for using oil and for light sources. They decided that Zorla and Farro would carry light sources. The party discussed plans with the map. They moved to the basement, with Zorla, JT, and Contristo first to enter the room. The group then carefully explored the room, noting that it was undisturbed. The group moved down the stairs into the room and towards the door to the next room. Jensen reported that the door was open. The group noted that the location connected to the room where they were previously ambushed.

Farro put out his light source. The group moved near the door, and Farro peered inside, hearing low noises. Farro relayed the information that the room had at least six figures in a tactical position. The party discussed whether to move silently, despite their light sources, and decided that they would move quickly but as quietly as they could. The elves decided to move ahead into the room without light sources. The elves moved into the room, noting multiple figures, and then relayed the information.

They discussed the range of oil and set up positions. Nathaniel suggested missile fire support followed by a melee charge, with oil being the first wave of attack. The group then assigned positions, and those with missile weapons moved to their spots. Azra prepared grease to use. The group gathered and Azra cast bless. Those in the tactical positions for missiles were moved to their positions. Opelle and Contristo prepared to throw oil, targeting a crossbow-wielding figure and someone who appeared to be the leader respectively. Contristo was successful in killing the crossbowman, while Opelle missed, causing splash damage to both an adjacent gnoll and herself. Farro fired arrows at a gnoll, hitting it with one. Contristo threw another oil at the leader and hit, and Farro fired again. Farro attacked the leader again. Morwenna cast a sleep spell, with a very high roll of 16 hit dice, putting all the remaining enemies to sleep. The party then moved in and killed all the sleeping enemies except the leader.

The party collected treasure, including gold pieces, silver pieces, copper pieces, a gold chain, and platinum pieces. They determined each party member's share of the treasure. Azra used detect magic, but none of the items were magical. Opelle removed the pineal glands of the fallen. They redistributed the gold and gave each member three more gold, with the remaining gold going to the party fund. Nathaniel reminded the group to be cautious moving forward.

The gained significant experience from the battle. The group discussed the importance of planning combat scenarios to maximize success. The group had a significant victory, and they decided to collect all the equipment from the fallen. The group discussed the different types of fallen enemies, noticing that the gnolls had far less treasure than the bugbears. 

Session 172 - Hamlet's Shadow: A Roleplaying Session

Afternoon and evening of Ready'reat 18 and Morning of Ready'reat 19. 

Town Meeting Preparations:

Before the town meeting (scheduled for around 1700), the group had some private and group conversations. They strategized about how to handle information gathered from a suspicious individual named Vince, who offered to sell them secrets for 50 gold pieces. Concerns were raised about trusting Vince, and the group decided against paying him, preferring to gather information at the town meeting instead. They selected Contristo as their spokesperson for the meeting due to his higher charisma. They discussed what information to present, ultimately deciding to focus on the ogre presence at the Moat House, led by Lareth, and the involvement of necromancers, omitting details about Vince.

Town Meeting and Aftermath:

The meeting was held in the basement of an inn due to weather conditions. The group attended alongside various village officials and other individuals. The meeting covered village security concerns, including bandit activity and robberies. Contristo presented the group's findings about the Moat House, revealing the presence of ogres, gnolls, necromancers, and their leader, Lareth. This caused considerable concern among the villagers. The group discussed their plan to return to the Moat House, anticipating resistance and traps. They received advice on tactics from Rufus, including the use of oil and organized formations. Concerns about dealing with necromancy and raising the dead were also addressed, with the village cleric and druid offering assistance. The group's concerns about the Moat House were validated by the villagers, and they received support and offers of assistance. Rufus offered to provide three additional fighters to aid in their next expedition.

After the meeting, the group had dinner at the inn. Laira sang ballads that touched upon themes of betrayal, magic, and trust. There were interactions with other characters, including some playful but potentially awkward encounters with a young woman named Bella and her mother, Wendy with JT. The group discussed the need to be careful and avoid misinterpretations, emphasizing respecting boundaries. The group finalized plans for their next adventure, scheduling it for the following day after resolving financial matters and discussing personal activities. 

Here are the two ballads that Laira sang: 

"The Moat and the Mage"

A haunting tale of betrayal and magic centered around the old Moathouse.

"By the crumbled stones of the moated keep,

Where shadows long and secrets sleep,

A mage once wove his dark intent,

And in his halls, the cursed were sent."

"But the dawn it came, with sword and flame,

The villagers rose, to end his name.

Yet whispers linger, 'neath the moon's pale glow,

Beware the halls where the dark things grow."

"The Shepherd and the Wolf"

A moralistic ballad about trust, community, and courage.

"A shepherd walked the meadow fair,

His flock beneath the willow’s care.

A wolf approached, with hunger's eye,

And spoke with words, instead of cries."

"‘Share your wealth, and I’ll spare the rest.’

But the shepherd saw through the cunning test.

With a horn's sharp blast, his friends came near,

And the wolf was driven by blade and spear."

"Trust in your kin, for alone you’ll fall,

But together you’ll answer the danger’s call."

Discussion of Character Dynamics and Concerns:

Opelle expressed fear and uncertainty about participating in the upcoming adventure and the group offered support and encouragement, highlighting Opelle's valuable skills and the team's need for all members. Rufus brutally and directly addressed Opelle, and her desire to be an adventurer, and that she needed to toughen up for the group, and provide the support that she is capable of. 

The morning ended with the players planning their future in-game activities, including training and preparing for the impending Moat House expedition. The session highlighted the challenges of balancing in-game strategy with character development and interpersonal dynamics. The conversations covered a wide range of topics, including tactical planning, moral considerations, character motivations, and even real-life scheduling concerns.

Session 171: Zorla Muses About Unresolved Tensions and Grug's Legacy

It was Day 17 of Ready'reat and we spent the day in town to prepare for the town meeting that evening. A few interesting things happened and a lot of not-very-interesting things happened. I'll tell you about the interesting stuff.

First, Morwenna attempted to talk with Laira about the song she sang which was clearly about Elmo and the moathouse, but Laira denied the whole thing even happened. She insisted that she had actually sung a song about "Elmer the Great". I was sitting at the table nearby and listened in horror as the usually-logical Morwenna walked away from the conversation totally confused and actually questioning whether she misheard the whole thing. But I don't believe it. Somehow Laira knows things about what happened at the moathouse. It can't be a harmless coincidence. Maybe it's some magical influence or even something more sinister. We need to keep an eye on that girl.

Speaking of keeping an eye on someone, Azra was acting very strangely, even for an elf. She was clearly on edge from watching a secretive exchange between Contristo and Farro, but isn't everything Contristo does secretive and questionable? We need to just get over it with that guy, but Azra became more and more agitated by it all. She then started a strange staring contest with Ostler, the innkeeper. I have no idea what that was about but maybe she was hoping he would give in to her staring and give her some answers? Or maybe she's seeking a sense of control while caught up in a situation far beyond her control? I'm not a mind-reader and even if I were I don't think I'd want to know what is going on in that girl's mind.

Another thing: that Mergun guy sure is persistent. He has been trying to sell off his unusual wares and some of the group is giving in to his sales pitch with far too much interest—especially in that whispering bell. Even I was overly-interested, but we should all be more hesitant with this guy. He's up to something, even if it's just fleecing people with ridiculous things no one needs. Morwenna bought the strange "Glass Eye of the Seer" from him and gave herself a chill as soon as she touched it. She also said it felt like she was being watched, and that the thing then shifted it's gaze to Azra. Rightly so. That girl needs watching. Maybe both Ostler and the glass eye are on to something there.

Speaking of getting fleeced, we went to the traders to sell the last of Grug's belongings to help fund our continuing efforts in the area. They bought his leather armor, shield and backpack for reasonable prices, considering the smell. But then they pretended his ancestral weapons were junk and finally offered a pittance for them. I can't believe we fell for that. At least we were smart enough to divide his rations and a few other belongings between us where they will be respected and continue to be of use. I bought a sewing kit and I'm going to sew that old tattered piece of rug that he carried around to my backpack, in his memory.

Another thing: That JT kid is exceptionally strange. I'm not sure he's even as bright as Grug was. He insisted on attempting to sell his silver sword to the traders, even though I made every effort to drag him outside by his collar to prevent him from potentially going through with it. I mean, they just bought ancestral armor for a few copper! Of course they offered him a significantly lower price than its actual value. Turns out he just wanted the price quote, but I wonder if it means something more. Hopefully he can be trusted to make better choices in a fight.

It sure does seem like there are a lot of mysteries going on around here that could probably be solved if people would just sit down and have some conversations. It's like living in one of those romance stories that people talk about reading. If the characters just talked to each other like normal people the premise of the whole story could be resolved in five minutes.

Another thing: We decided to establish a group common fund, purchased a cloth bag to hold our coins, and gave over handling it to Contristo. For some reason we all trust the shadiest guy in the group the very most. Not sure what that says about us. I'm going to go lie down and take a nap. Thinking about all this is making me sleepy.

Session 170: Bury a Friend

It's day 17 of Ready'reat and party morale is low. Our last battle was a crushing one with the death of Grug and four party members falling in battle. Farro, Crassus, and I (Morwenna) had all been revived by magical means, but Zorla still lays unconscious. With Azra, Contristo, and Opelle, our pitiful party makes an attempt to drag Grug and Zorla's hefty bodies back to Hommlet. But first, there is the insulting obstacle of the cage blocking our way out. I blame Grug. He separated himself from the party, triggered the cage's fall, and impeded our assist by trapping several of us inside. That same cage was now halting our egress. Even in death the barbarian is a pebble in my boot! I'll be honest, our primary objective of hauling his large corpse out of the moat house is so that he is not turned into a giant zombie that we will need to fight in the future. But a part of me also owes a duty to a former member of our party for a dignified end of life ceremony. But before any of that can happen, we need to get past this cage!

We brainstorm about how to get the entire party past the obstacle. I muse about perhaps going back and toggling the switch Grug had thrown, but Contristo pooh-poohed that as not likely to work. I observe the the cage and notice that it is connected to some sort of mechanics that could lift and lower. We set about to search the area for a hidden switch that could retract the cage. Keen-eyed Farro spots a subtle catch on the wall. When it is thrown, a doorway opens up to a hidden room. This place has a history of vomiting out ogres from opened doors, so I am apprehensive. But Farro investigates and sees a winch with an unspooled and taut chain. I roll up the chain onto the winch and the cage raises. The winch catches and seems to hold the cage in place. Farro muses that this is a valuable piece of information that could potentially be utilized in the future to trap an enemy.

We are carrying both Zorla and Grug when Contristo questions why Zorla hasn't been healed yet. I point out that I have no more healing spells, but Azra recalls that she in fact does and heals Zorla. We now focus on the task of determining what to do with Grug. Several ideas are floated. We first attempt to burn his body in a spot where we don't think it will smoke up the place, but it becomes clear that we do not have enough oil to do a competent job. I suggest weighing him down and sinking him into the moat, but several of the party don't believe that will be sufficient and don't want to fight a bloated Grug zombie. We contemplate venturing away from the moat house and digging a grave in the forest, but the ground is sloppy and wet from the rain and we are short on shovels. Opelle suggests (too zealously and repeatedly) that we perform some sort of gruesome butchering to prevent the necromancers from being able to use his body, but I don't possess that level of cold detachment. It is a distasteful idea to me and I shut it down every time it is brought up. In the end, we decide to lug the lug back to Hommlet. Zorla and I do the heavy lifting, slogging along in the slushy rain.

On the way back, we run into a figure on the road. He is wrapped in a cloak with a lute over his shoulder and wears mismatched boots. This fellow introduces himself as Vince and offers to sell us "dry capes" for one gold piece each. These "dry capes" are wretched burlap sacks with holes cut out for the arms. I, for one, have not sunk so low and roll my eyes at the offer. I bet Grug would have been interested, though. Poor Grug! I'm trying to call up some fond memories from our short time together when I realize that Vince is singing. What's more, he's singing about Grug? That can't be right. I must've misheard. We trudge on as the rain turns to snow.

Back in Hommlet, the rest of us wait with the corpse as Farro and Contristo set off to visit the wizard. Vince turns to us and tells us that he knows secrets about the moat house and is willing to share them with us, for a price. Turns out that price is 50 gold pieces! We all stare at him a bit stunned as he says he will come to the inn for our answer and then disappears quickly into the woods. This guy is so mysterious! Even if we could scrape together 50 gp, could we even trust the intel he feeds us?

The wizard had given Farro and Contristo an order to take with Grug's body to the burial grounds. We left him there with some workers that seemed eager to earn money digging a grave, even on a cold and snowy night. We all make our way back to the inn, with Farro stopping to buy some warmer clothes first. 

In the common room we meet up with a fellow that calls himself James Thomas. He seems keen to join the party. Well, we find ourselves with an opening at the moment. He comes with a hawk named Echo and an expensive-looking silver longsword. Of all the pets one could bring on an adventure, a hawk doesn't seem too intrusive, though Ostler didn't let the bird stay inside. JT is ready to earn some coin because he says he's broke. Then he orders a fancy dinner. Okay?

The atmosphere of the inn is a welcome respite. It's warm and friendly with good food and drink. Tonight there is even a half-elf singing as entertainment. She's not half bad! Everyone's mood seems to be lifting. Opelle pays for Farro's room because he has run low on funds and Azra drinks and chats with Gremag, Rannos, and Charles. I finish my dinner and sip my ale listening half-heartedly to the words sung by the bard. Then I listen closer. She is singing about the heroic escapades of the adventurer... Elmo? How does she know the specifics of his last stand? The details she includes are startling and specific. It almost feels nefarious. I need to speak to her to better understand how she knows what she knows (and if she is associated with Vince).

Session 169: Running Straight into Death

 Day 17 of Ready'Reat

What a miserable day this is turning out to be. The rain has soaked through most of our cloaks and clothes. Fortunately, we have made it to the moat house before we got too chilled from the cold and rain. We gathered some broken furniture from one of the rooms and built a fire in one of the broken fireplaces that this ruin has. It has allowed us to warm up and dry off our clothes. After sufficiently drying off, the group decides the best course of action is further exploration, and Morwenna directs us toward the basement, which we haven't really explored (the last time we were there we were attacked by the undead and nearly died). The impulsive barbarian Grug leads from the front. We reach the basement with little fanfare: nothing impeded our progress or try to kill us yet. Shortly after arriving, Morwenna discovered a small, hidden latch, that she hadn't noticed before. Elves truly are the superior race, and she is among the best of us. Once the rest of the group prepared themselves, she pulled the latch, and it revealed a passageway with stairs heading downward. Once again, we head down, with Grug leading the way. As we travel, Grug is offered Zorla's 10 ft pole, but opts to check the floor for traps using his spear instead. That barbarian's logic sometimes, baffles me. 

Eventually we are led to a room that diverges into two passageways: one to leads to the east, and another to the south. Morwenna wants the party to go east, but Grug it seemed has other intentions. He claims he needed to go to the southern passage so he could "relieve himself". Both Contristo look at each other with the same skeptical look, we don't believe him for a second. Contristo follows him a few steps behind, and I use my natural abilities to slink into the shadows and dark crevices to disappear from the view of others and follow both Grug and Contristo. The others it seems decide to continue to travel on the east passage. It would appear Grug is looking for sources of magic. He triggers something (I couldn't quite see what he pressed) which caused a large clanging noise in the area where we just were. Hopefully the rest of the party is okay. All of sudden I hear Grug make a sickening cry, which sounded an awful like a death cry. The sound a person makes when their essence is beginning to leave their body. It is a sound that is unmistakable, and the fact Grug made it, causes my hair to stand on end. I move out from the shadows to behold quite a sight: the fallen body of Grug, with an ogre standing over him. Just then the rest of the party joins the fray. Apparently, they were trapped under a huge cage that was sprung on them (the clanging noise!), heard Grug's cries, and came to investigate. A large group of gnolls, armed to the teeth, and equipped with bows and axes are prepared for us.  Contristo throws a dagger that looks slightly different than normal: it has a slight glisten to it as if he coated it with something (a poison maybe?). The poisoned dagger finds its mark, and poison begins to course through the creature's body.  The gnolls, for whatever reason, view Morwenna as the greatest threat to them, fire a volley of arrows at her, hitting her. She falls down, unconscious and mortally wounded. Azra, sensing the danger Morwenna is in, steps up and casts her healing magic on her, and brings her back to consciousness. I try to distract the gnolls while Opelle and Azra bring Morwenna to a safer location, by throwing a lit vial of oil at the gnolls. I missed the one I was aiming at, though I did hit one, cause him to burn some. They launched a volley of arrows at me as a result. As the arrows pierce my skin, and I quickly lose consciousness, the last thing I see is Morwenna dragged safely to safety. 

The next thing I remember is the warmth healing magic as I was brought back to conscious by Morwenna. Apparently, the gods have more things for me to do in this life yet.  I look around and Crassus is lying on the floor bleeding, apparently shot by the gnolls, and Zorla is attacking the ogre that killed Grug. Zorla is not winning the fight by the looks of it. She swings, somehow misses, then gets hit by its counterattack. Opelle, Azra, and Contristo sense this might be a losing fight, begin to disengage and start to back out of the passageway. Both Morwenna and I are in no condition to fight, having each nearly died, decide to rest and watch a moment. We look at each other, then look at the body of Crassus, then nod. We stand up and quickly move forward, grab Crassus' body and move him back to the safety of the passageway where we were resting. Apparently, this took the gnolls by surprise as they didn't fire an arrow at us. Morwenna used the last of her magic on Crassus, and he returned to the land of the living. We watch as the ogre strikes Zorla hard, causing her to fall down bleeding. It would appear she has lost this fight. But in a twist of fate, so does the ogre. Contristo's poison takes full effect, which kills the ogre instantly. The creature gurgles sickly, then collapses on the body on the fallen Grug. Morwenna persuades me to go get Zorla, since I can disappear seemingly at will. After waiting a few minutes, I walk slowly to Zorla, piveting my head side-to-side, watching and waiting for an ambush or any sign of danger. Finally, I get to her large body. I quickly look for and find what I'm looking for: bandages. I find and bandage the bleeding, stabilizing her. I drag her slowly back to the others, a few paces at a time. I do this both to ensure the bandages don't tear, as well as to check for danger. Finally, I place her in the caring hands of the others. The gnolls apparently, have gotten bored or got different orders because they decided to leave shortly after the ogre was defeated. Constristo, Azta, and Opelle, decide to come back, and the rest of the group start to discuss what to do with Grug. Contristo offers up a great suggestion taking what Grug no longer needs: his earthly possessions. We will discuss what else to do with this big impulsive barbarian body. 

Signed,

Farro Eagerstar