The Fifth Session

April 20, 2019, Campaign: As the ground quakes, evil wakes

It is Suon, the third day of the fifth week of the month of Tarsakh in the year 997 P.D.

From the hill a days' travel outside West Haven

A day's travel outside West Haven, we spend the early morning discussing how we're going to travel. With 9 people in the travel party (The Party plus Kan, Valna, and Sir Bertram Bell), four seats within the carriage, two atop, and two horses, we're short one seat for a person.

Bugfood casts Locate Animals and finds some local horses: our horses. Ryltar dryly remarks that yes, those are our horses.

Bugfood doesn't think we need supplemental rides; we can double up Salris and Ryltar on a horse; they're really light. Their gear goes on the carriage.

The road winds and dips as we cross the plains. We come to a copse of trees that the road passes through. A well-dressed main walks onto the path, to stop us. There's a small encampment with two more people off to the side, and a few horses. They wear green robes and light leather armor.

"Greetings, friends! We're here to check travelers on their way to West Haven. A standard security check." He's confident and cocky, self-assured, more cocky than you would expect with the guard." Ryltar asks if he has a crest of the Haven; the man pulls out a leather crest with the crest with the Woven Council's insignia. Valna confirms that this happens eventually, and he seems to be legit.

Jerry asks what he'd like to see. He's looking for dangerous things. Tula pulls out the unborn dragon head from the egg, which the guard is very interested in. "Where did you get this?"

Ryltar keeps close watch on the guards to see what happens. The first guard appears to be human; the second figure is too cloaked to tell and the third is a half-orc with a crossbow.

"To answer your question, there was a dragon egg, and I killed it," says Tula. "A dragon egg! In these lands?" "Only a couple days away. I'd like to sell it before it rots." "I could take it off of your hands." "Why would a guard be interested?" "Not many people would expect a seller for this." "I think I'll get a better price for this in West Haven."

The man wonders if we have anything else dangerous or interesting in the carriage. Jerry shows him her darts, one at a time.

The half-orc says he'd like to inspect our weapons for "malpractice." Tula objects to him handling her holy blade. Ryltar shows him a plain wood quarterstaff.

The guards here are looking for people who might be unwelcome or dangerous to the upcoming Equinox celebration in West Haven. They're looking for unsavory types and known traitors. We explain that our passengers are a woman and her child and the enchanter that we saved on the road. In the background, Bugfood and Salris banter about man-weasels; they complain about making each other uncomfortable. "Can we go," asks Bugfood. "He's making me uncomfortable."

"Sure, you can go. As long as you give up all your possessions," the man says, and pulls out his dagger.

Against the highwaymen

1. The leader dies, and two more crossbowman appear.
   1. Sir Bertram Bell leans out of the cart and asks, "Can we just move along?" He casts Friends. The brigand says, "Yes, you can move along — once you relinquish your items."
   2. Out of nowhere, a fourth person appears from behind a tree and shoots a crossbow at Jerry, hitting for 6. He's got grey skin and a long face. And then he ducks around back behind the tree.
   3. The crossbow half-orc pulls out another crossbow and shoots Salris, but misses. Then he runs behind the nearest tree.
   4. Bugfood casts Heat Metal on the leader of the brigands, heating his sword and burning his hand for 11.
   5. The cloaked character, still in their encampment, fires a hand crossbow at Bugfood, and misses. His hood falls off revealing that same grey skin and drawn-out face, with pink face and long ears. Bugfood recognizes it as a were-rat.
   6. Ryltar suggests to the leader that he hold still, and casts Hold Person on the leader, paralyzing him. He hides between the cart's horses.
   7. Vurguron jumps off the cart and attacks the leader with his sword, for a heckton of damage.
   8. Valna pulls out a rapier and readies an attack if anything gets near her.
   9. A third crossbowman fires at Bugfood, and misses. Then he hides behind the tree.
   10. Tula attacks the leader, swinging with the flat of her blade to bludgeon him in half, spraying Bugfood and the horses with blood. Then she jumps off the cart and runs to where she can see the half-orc crossbowman. She yeets a javelin at him for 9 damage. The javelin sticks in the ruffian, until he pulls it out.
   11. Salris jumps off his horse, then runs over to one of the crossbowman and stabs him a bunch, with Hexblade's Curse
   12. Jerry jumps off the cart, runs over to Salris's opponent, casts Hunter's Mark, then deals 36 with a critical hit, but the crossbowman is still standing up.
2. Another rat appears, attacking the carriage.
   1. Sir Bertram stays in the cart, and holds Vicious Mockery — his sole damaging spell — until someone approaches.
   2. Salris' opponent bites him, penetrates Salris' armor for 4 piercing and a curse. And then swords him for a bit.
   3. Another crossbow-rat attacks Salris.
   4. Bugfood runs over to a previously-undamaged crossbowman, turns his staff into a snake, and it deals some piercing and poison damage.
   5. The crossbowman that Tula had attacked runs over to her and attacks with two shortswords, for one hit and a little slashing damage.
   6. Ryltar, from under the horse, casts Ray of Frost for a little damage.
   7. Vurguron runs over next to Tula, and misses his sword.
   8. Valna maintains her protection over Kan.
   9. Jerry and Tula and Vurguron see a giant rat run up to the back of the carriage. Valna attacks it.
   10. The rat attacks Valna for 2 damage.
   11. Bertram fires off his Vicious Mockery upon the rat, and its next attack will be disadvantaged.
   12. Bugfood's opponent bites him in the shield, and then stabs him for 6 piercing.
   13. Tula stares her opponent in the eye, saying, "I am the Pathfinder. I clear the way for those who follow," and Vows Enmity before hitting with her greatsword for 17 damage. But it doesn't feel like she got full damage.
   14. Salris Misty Steps to behind Jerry, then Eldritch Blasts the were-rat he had been attacking.
   15. Jerry moves her Hunter's Mark to the rat behind the wagon, then runs over and misses an attack.
3. We kill one crossbowman.
   1. Bertram viciously mocks the rat, for a little damage.
   2. A crossbowman shoots at Jerry, for 3 damage, then again but misses.
   3. Bugfood drops Balm of the Summer Court on Salris for some extra HP, then hits the nearest crossbowman for 3 piercing and 12 poison. The rat's arm shrivels from the poison, but it still stands.
   4. Tula's opponent's first shortsword bounces off her armor, then the second stabs her for 7 damage.
   5. Ryltar casts Chilling Hands (a reflavored Burning Hands) on the crossbowman who just shot at Jerry, for 2 damage, and then moves around to hide behind the horses.
   6. Vurguron attacks the were-rat that had just attacked Tula, for 11 with his sword.
   7. Valna stabs the carriage rat.
   8. The carriage rat moves next to Jerry, and attacks with a bite for 3 piercing and a curse.
   9. Bugfood's opponent misses with his sword twice.
   10. Tula cuts with her greatsword for 22 on the nearest were-rat, but he's still resisting her damage.
   11. Salris moves around to the crossbowman that had just shot Jerry, hits Hex of damage, dealing 6 quarterstaff damage and 1 necrotic on the rat.
   12. Jerry flanks the carriage rat and stabs with the glaive for 8 damage.
4. We kill another two.
   1. Sir Bertram Viciously Mocks the carriage rat.
   2. Bugfood hits his crossbowman with his snake staff Suosim Stick for a bunch of poison damage, killing it. Then he moves back towards the cart. He casts Balm of the Summer Court again on Salris for 5 HP and one temporary HP.
   3. The rat by Tula and Vurguron attacks both of them, missing Tula and stabbing Vurguron for 4 piercing.
   4. Ryltar moves as far away from his target as possible, then Ray of Frosts for slowed movement, some cold damage, and disadvantage on attacks.
   5. Vurguron still misses the rat directly in front of hit.
   6. Valna stabs the carriage rat with her rapier, but hits the cart instead.
   7. The carriage rat bites Jerry, for 5 piercing damage.
   8. Tula divinely smites her crossbowman for 13 radiant and 18 non-radiant damage, stabbing him in one wrist, then cleaving straight up his arm across his neck. Then she moves towards the carriage, getting within javelin range to nail the rat to the ground with a javelin.
   9. Salris whacks the crossbowman for 7 whacking and 2 hex damage.
   10. Jerry stabs the carriage rat for 17 damage.
5. The carriage rat dies, as does the last crossbow-wielding were-rat
   1. Bertram insults the carriage rat to death. It cringes so hard that its heart stops.
   2. Bugfood casts Frostbite on the remaining crossbowman, but misses. Then he reverts his snake staff to standard staff form.
   3. Ryltar Ray of Frosts the remaining crossbowman, dealing a little damage.
   4. Vurguron hustles as far as he can, to get crossbow range on the remaining crossbowman, then misses.
   5. Salris is attacked twice by the crossbowman, once missing and once stabbing for 1 damage. It then runs, and Salris' attack of opportunity deals 9 damage. The rat limps away.
   6. Valna waits.
   7. Tula moves to line-of-sight on the fleeing crossbowman, then yeets a javelin at him and kills him.

Salris feels odd, but doesn't know that he's cursed. Jerry was also bit, and she's curious about medical care.

Bugfood investigates the brigands' camp. He finds 100 gold, 13 silver, and 100 copper. "I don't know, you'll probably die," he says, in response to Salris' questions.

Ryltar knows stuff about lycanthropic damage, and he knows that the cursed wounds don't bleed. Salris and Jerry are cursed. The curse takes time to set in. The moon is beginning to wane, so we have 20 days to find a cure.

Jerry's medicine knowledge tells her that any healing item with powdered silver, or a blessing from a priest or cleric, would remove the curse. But the Party has none of that. She consoles herself by storing the crossbows and shortswords of the highwaymen (6 swords, 7 crossbows) for sale in the West Haven.

Because of banter about were-rats and were-humans, Bugfood tries to bite Salris. But fails.

We tend to wounds, and take their two horses.

Tula and Bugfood notice the beginning of a smoke column between us and the West Haven.

We steal their horses, mount up, and ride off towards the West Haven.

Vicar, the acolyte

We try to keep the smoke column in view as we ride along the road. Jerry's survival skills tell us that it's a way off, and it's a large fire. Not as large as if the whole city would be on fire.

After an hour passes, Bugfood wildshapes to the Form of Panther to scout ahead. He comes across a couple carriages, tipped over, burning. He sees one person, shambling away in a charred cloak, holding the cloak shut with a withered hand. It's walking away from the city, towards us. He sees no other people. He casts Balm of the Summer Court on the person for some HP and a bonus hit point, without identifying himself. And then he runs back and tells us of his approach.

Bugfood recommends that we hide the carriage, and lounge about as if we're taking a rest. Bugfood asks that we talk to him rather than attacking first. The party discusses who should attack first. As we're talking, the figure approaches.

The figure is not a fiend, undead, celestial, or otherwise appearing to Tula's Divine Sense.

Ryltar approaches it, and Bugfood follows on his trail. Ryltar explains that Bugfood would be in the same area of affect if the figure would cast a spell.

Salris rides towards the figure, calling out, "Excuse me!"

Vurguron fires a warning shot past the figure, the figure drops to the ground. Tula swats Vurguron.

"What was that?!" calls out the figure. Ryltar hops off his horse, apologizing for the fighter' stupidity. "What are you doing here? What happened?" Ryltar asks.

"Green-skinned fire," says the figure. Its skin is charred and shriveled. "I was int he carriage."

"You look a little hurt; is there anything we could do to help?"

"Water," croaks the figure. Ryltar calls over Jerry, who brings a waterskin. Jerry investigates the figure's wounds; they're dried on the backs from lack of moisture, and partially covered in boils from second-degree burns.

The figure was going towards Grey Harbor, he says. The party's various insight checks show that there's nothing misleading from the cha character; he's seeking help. His name is Vicar. We say we could bring him to West Haven, but he wants to keep going on towards the Grey Harbor. His persuasion attempt is really bad, and the character doesn't want to go back that way.

Bugfood gives the guy a stack of goodberries, and then bids him a good day.

Salris and Ryltar offer him a ride back to the West Haven, because that's where he can meet up with his friends. The traveler hails from the temple of Corellon Larethian, the elven deity of art and magic. His travelers had joined with other temples, and a person from no temple who joined with them to travel. They were traveling to Grey Harbor to deliver gifts, supplies, and relics for a new temple there.

The attackers are not well defined. "One laughed," says the traveler, "the next thing you know, the carriage was on fire. We were all low people of our own temples; what were we supposed to do?"

This character, we realize, is a young elf. Bugfood asks if the temple would have someone capable of removing curses; the young acolyte suggests the magistrate Andraste Netyoine. We ask him if we should clean up the temple.

Jerry tells the kid to get on the cart, and drives off down to the flaming caravan. We put Vurguron on the spare horse.

Investigating the carriages

There are two burning carriages, on their sides. The fires are dying out.

Jerry finds tracks of Vicar, from where he stood, into the furthest card.

Tula uses Athletics to clear the carts of debris, but fails horribly, taking 2 points fire damage.

Ryltar examines the carts, looking through them. In the first cart he sees two burnt bodies, burnt beyond recognition. In the second cart, there's no bodies, but there is an upturned crate. Jerry suggests that he freeze the cart.

Salris looks through the carts, examining the crates. The cracked-open crate has a fabric inside that is greenish. He Detects Magic and uses Mage Hand to pull the artefact crate out of the fire. There's a slight magical effect in the crate, but nothing powerful. He sticks his Mage Hand into the crate and pulls out a pillow. It's the sort of cushion that something would rest upon.

Ryltar's Ray of Frosts extinguish the cart, and in the crate we find a sword that Vicar says is Moon-touched. It glows in the dark, and is the relic that they were taking to the Grey Harbor temple as a sign of that temple's completion. Ryltar says that we should take it back to the temple, and relinquishes it into Vicar's hands.

Salris's Detect Magic doesn't see anything else in the carriage, and Vicar says that it's important to treat the bodies with respect. So after discussing whether to bury them locally or take them back to the temple, we decide to bury them here. Bugfood takes Form of Giant Badger and digs six graves in little time.

Further investigation of the area reveals turned earth where the carriages crashed. There's scattered footprints. The nearest landmarks are a hill, the burned-out hulks of these carriages, and some partially-burned trees.

We take a short rest while we search for additional bodies.

Jerry builds a small cairn to mark the spot.

Vicar watches over Salris and Ryltar's search efforts, muttering prayers. There are skid marks leading off the road, with tracks off to the right of the trail, with small and medium humanoid footprints. There's the occasional indentation of a staff. These prints lead to the crash, and then they go back off to the right, headed in a different direction.

Bertram utters words, walking around the area, forming a greenish-brown camouflaged dome to hide our NPCs in. He explains that the dome is a protection.

The short rest completed, we decide to follow the tracks.

Searching for bodies, finding goblins

Bugfood leads the party, tracking the tracks. He has the highest survival skill of the party. Many feet follow a winding path down and to the right. 10 minutes walking later, we hear voices in the distance. Some are deeper, one is higher in pitch. They're about a hundred feet away.

Ryltar steps off to the side, taking a flanking route.

Bugfood says he's going to provide cover. He takes Form of Cat and approaches. The rest of the party follow, stealthily.

The terrain is lightly spattered with trees.

Bugfood approaches, looking for a tree to climb. He hears a loud grunt, and meows back. The grunt is in a gargling language. He sees a small greenish goblin walking in his direction. Bugfood turns and climbs a tree, and the goblin swipes at him as he climbs.

Ryltar approaches, hidden from the side, and sees a smattering of goblins, hobgoblins, and one that's checkered in pink and black. There are three different circles of goblins, each with 3 hobgoblins, 7 goblins or so total. He returns to the party, and tells us of about 30 goblins ahead, across three encampments. We discuss the prudence of attacking them.

Ryltar and Jerry endorse going to the West Haven, and notifying the guard and the church.

The goblin under the tree leaves; Ryltar casts Message to Bugfood and tells him of our intent to leave. Bugfood replies, "Meow," and climbs down. One of the goblins throws a rock at him; he poofs up and runs.

We return to the dome, and find the NPCs milling about. Vicar has been examining the wreckage. Vicar has found a medallion, with the image of a young branch. Inlaid in the sides are streaks of lines coming from the top. Then across the midground of the symbol are stocks of gathered wheat. It's slightly charred; Ryltar casts Mend on it to repair the burns. Vicar explains that the other acolytes were from Pelor, god of sun and healing, or Melora, goddess of wilderness and sky. But the one who traveled with them that was not an acolyte had no religious symbols; Vicar did not know him to carry anything. Tula compares the symbol with her own, and they're fairly similar. Hers is a plain with path beneath a sun. This adds wheat and sun-streaks. She asks Vicar to let her keep it. Bugfood says it feels like a religious symbol, but he doesn't know what it's for. Tula feels for the combined symbol. She knows hers is the path; and this one is for growth. Her crest is a different job than this crest's purpose, but they may be related. Still, she holds onto it.

Ryltar asks Tula, "Who do you follow?" "That's a good question." "Do you not know?" "You have your secrets, I have mine."

"What she said is fair," says Salris.

"I wish I knew my secrets," says Bugfood.

We continue on into the night, and finally arrive at a wall. There are armored guards in traditional elvish green armor, with brownish-gold trim. Angular with sweeping curves. They ask us what we're here for; Jerry turns the conversation over to Valna. Valna talks with the guards and gains our admittance. Ryltar asks for whom to report the goblins to. The lead guard says that he will notify the captain when the captain comes on shift.

And then we enter the West Haven.

Lights flare across the door, and we are let inside.

The West Haven

Valna leads us to the governmental lodging house, where she speaks with the receptionist. There's a heated argument; she returns and tells us that our late arrival was not appreciated, but we do have rooms.

Tula offers to the innkeeper to lift diseases or poisons for people in the housing.

The housing will be a short walk away, past a tavern. In an alley by the tavern, Tula sees an old woman covered in old robes. "Are you sick, old woman?" "No…" "Okay, bye" and continues walking. In another alleyway, she sees someone vomiting, and immediately heals him of his ailment: drunkenness. "Drink responsible, sir," she says. He walks back into the bar.

We bed down in the government inn, and spend a long rest.

Next session

We need to cure Salris and Jerry of their were-rat curses.

There's shopping and selling to be done.

Jerry would like to check in on her daughter, and to write a letter home.

On the morning we wake up, it will be Kel, the fourth day of the fifth week of the month of Tarsakh in the year 997 P.D. It is seven days until the spring equinox.