Session 8: November 21, 2023: An Old Enemy and a New Friend (24th Day of Springrise, 1165 AS)

Session 8: November 21, 2023 (25th Day of Springrise, 1165 AS)

Dramatis Personae:

• Echo, Wolfkin Hunter, played by Mike "I Absolutely do NOT Smell Like Wet Dog" P.
• Kelter Tealeaf, Halfling Rogue, played by Mike "Do You Think She Misses Me?" Y.
• Vinny Boombatz, Dwarven Fighter, played by Eric "I Wish I Had the Chance to Miss You" M.

Quod Occurrit:

Back to The Hollows

The first time our heroes left The Hollows, they promised to never go back. Guess what, they decided to go back.

On their way back to The Hollows, our heroes avoid an ambush that involved bandits pretending to be injured merchants on the road, complete with blood poured on the ground, and animal entrails used to look like human ones on the "dead" bodies, which were actually bandits waiting to attack those coming to help. This was easily perceived by Kelter, who had taken point and scouted ahead. Unbeknownst to the characters, these were slavers who had hoped to sell passers-by for fun and profit. The party was able to skirt them handily, leaving the bandits to soak in their gross ersatz stage makeup.

Once at a safe distance, the party camped for the night, with rain still coming down.

The party arrives back at The Hollows in the evening, when a group of Dwarves show up, demanding the town surrender the Brewmaster Yawim to them, for the crime of using a human ale recipe. Yawim is a Dwarf who denies his heritage, even going so far as to shave his head and beard completely, and allows no Dwarves, Halflings, or other bearded folk on his premises, making him a target for other Dwarves. Echo, apparently a burgeoning diplomat, dissuades the vigilantes from using violence (a fact that does not go unnoticed by Yawim), and gets them to agree to a taste test of Yawim's ale to see if it is indeed of human make. Yawim succeeds at his crafting roll, and the Dwarves are mollified with further convincing by Vinny, and determine that Yawim has committed no crime. They leave, and Yawim becomes favourably disposed towards the heroes, even the Dwarf and Halfling. He states that they are most welcome in his establishment any time. He still hasn't admitted he's a Dwarf, though.

The next evening, the party approaches Weatherstone and scouts ahead. It is bristling with activity of the undead variety. Unfortunately (and fortunately) while observing the fortress, the party is then ambushed by a group led by someone they recognized: Esgar Farthing, who they killed in Weatherstone previously! He had at his disposal a sceptre that caused an earthquake that made it hard for the party and their allies to stay on their feet, though no serious damage was taken. Apparently Esgar is not that good at using the magical sceptre he was holding, nor is he good at staying dead.

The battle was short, desperate, and furious, and Echo was taken down, his fangs broken. Esgar then thought he was winning, but did not account for the presence of a Dwarven warrior with a magical weapon, and no one, literally no one accounted for the presence of a very large fox demon (kind of like the cat Kirara from Inuyasha) plunging into the battle on the heroes' behalf! Apparently it didn't like seeing a fellow canine get hurt! The assailants were cut down with the exception of Brother Ferebald, who surrendered. To be sure that Esgar would remain dead, the party decapitated his corpse. Brother Ferebald, who they had met in Weatherstone previously, stated that Esgar had initially hired him in The Hollows, and had found him again after his supposed death. Esgar had stated he had a "new employer" who had communicated with him through a painting in Weatherstone. So far, it appears that their ability to bring Esgar back to life is a one time thing. The let Ferebald go, threatening to have the wolfkin Echo hunt him down and have him for lunch. He takes off running, never looking back.

After the battle, the fox returned to his normal size, and (sounding like a grizzled soldier) introduced himself to the party as Grolf, and thanked the heroes for the campfire hospitality over the past while, and without much more ado, wandered off, singing to himself in his gruff, tuneful voice.

To end the session, the party discussed Vinny's use of Rustbite, and what it has been costing him. Each time an opponent is struck down ("broken" in game terms) by Vinny with the sword, he takes a point of damage to his Empathy. As he only has two points in Empathy to begin with, he must use its power judiciously. 

They also decide that the three of them are a bit too lean of a crew to take Weatherstone from the undead forces remaining there, and plan to return to The Hollows again in the morning.