18/7/23
18th Day of Rainmoot: 1492
Mission: Find Our Lady's Heart
Campaign: Tales from the Bard
Location(s): Mere, Forest of Abbadon
Present: Dramos Ethrane, Niall Tharivol, Ragul-Nur, (Roscoe Tosscoble), Moonwhisper , Plus Mule.
They watched the large tax collection convoy depart. Some 15 barbarians and 10 Gnolls were the escort, along with the large Half-Orc. The children waved as the wagon departed.
Ragul: "Pub?"
Roscoe: "Pub."
Niall: "And don't start any fights this time".
Moonwhisper: "Then tomorrow we can get back on the original task".
No one answered him.
18th
It was a long night in the tavern. The group falling asleep late, or early in the morning. As they sat down they started discussing what they were intending to do.
1. Track Talila.
2. Join the mercenaries in Gulluvia.
3. See if there was anything needed doing around the village.
As breakfast was kindly delivered by the owners wife, and as the tavern started to fill up, the door burst open.
Farmer: "She's gone, she's gone, she's been taken in the night!"
Customer: "Who's gone Jedidiah, who?"
Jedidiah: "My Doris, she's gone, gone. What shall I do?"
Niall: "Take it easy Jedidiah I'm sure your wife is not far, has she not wandered out to feed some of your livestock?"
The locals all started laughing at Niall. Jedidiah looked fit to burst.
Jedidiah: "Doris is not my wife, Doris is my prize milking cow, she provides milk for half the village. What am I to do?"
Dramos: "We are nearly finished our breakfast, we can help you look. Where is your farm?".
Directions given withing half an hour the group had arrived at Jedediah's, with the exception of Roscoe, he was still eating.
Niall was directed to the barn and although he searched he could find no tracks. The barn door was not forced as it was not padlocked. A simple bar acted as a lock.
Inside the barn it was easy to work out which stall was Doris's. Again Niall looked but could not find anything.
Niall: "Look the ground outside is hard, in here it is softer but I cannot find.......wait a minute..."
Niall bent over in the far corner. He had spotted something and as he moved some straw revealed a fresh cow platte that had a foot print int it, a heavy shod, slightly larger than human footprint. Ragul looking over his shoulder said:
Ragul: "Looks like an Orc footprint to me!"
Niall: "Just what I was going to say, Orcs!"
Moonwhisper: "Then what are we waiting for, lets get them and the cow and get back on with our task".
Outside Niall extended his search and found a track.
Niall: "Single Orc, leading the cow that way, towards the forest of Abbadon!"
Ragul: You mean that scary place Roscoe kept telling us about, pah old wives tales."
They set off at a steady pace but Niall, although he said they were gaining, had lost the trail.
Niall: "Found it. However the one Orc is now nine Orcs! Are we still heading after them, can we take on 9 Orcs?"
Moonwhisper: "If we are careful and we don't just run headlong into them, I am sure we can".
As they continued a mist was forming. The further they went the mist thickened. An arrow streaked out of the ist and narrowly missed Niall.
Niall: "They must be close, try to keep within sight of each other,"
They moved forward cautiously now, fearing an ambush. Ragul told Dramos to tie an end of his 50ft rope around his waist whilst he held on to the other end.
Niall spotted an Orc hiding behind a tree. He charged forward. Then all hell was let loose as those others moved forward. Arrows came out of the mist from all directions. The Orcs let loose a volley of arrows then charged in.
The fight was confused and desperate in the mist. Niall was fighting one, then two Orcs. The others fought Orcs. Then there were 6 dead Orcs and just as they were having a breather another 2 Orcs and 1 larger Orc charged into the flank of the group. This fight was harder the leader fought on to the end. The remaining Orc threw down his weapons and held his hands out. Niall and Ragul asked some brisk questions. The Orc answered to the best of his knowledge. Niall was happy he had told the truth. He had found out that the Screaming Skull Clan, whom he sought, were now in Murann and the Orc King's bodyguard Clan.
Moonwhisper was down and badly injured from the fight. The group pooled healing and brought him back from the brink of death.
The cow was found tethered to a tree. Exactly where the Orc prisoner had said it was. True to his word Niall cut the rope binding the Orc and told him he was free o go, without his weapons.
After resting awhile they continued onwards, Ragul leading the cow, Niall leading as best he could in the mist. Moonwhisper came 2nd followed by Dramos.
Niall scouted forward but always in sight of Moonwhisper. After a few hours he stopped. There was a stream and a ford. On the other side of the ford sat 4 very large humanoid creatures facing each other in a rough circle.
Niall: "Ogres, lets not stir them."
He waved the others forward. They conversed and decided to head south on this side of the stream hoping it was the stream that ran through Mere.
As they moved off one of the Ogres crossed the stream an thrust a bag into Ragul's chest and pointed at the cow. Ragul shook his head. The Ogre again pushed the bag into his chest and grabbed the rope with his other hand and pulled. As he did this a second Ogre crossed the ford. At that point Niall let fly an arrow he had knocked and it thudded into its chest The other Ogres stood up and threw javelins towards the group.
Moonwhisper closed with the Ogre as Ragul was slapped by the 1st and landed in a heap. The fight spread out on both sides of the stream. Moonwhisper took a heavy blow and went down as Dramos and Niall finished off the 2nd Ogre. Ragul regained his feet and launched into an attack on the 1st Ogre. It took a combined effort to bring the 1st Ogre down but then it was quiet, something had spooked the other 2 Ogres as they could be heard running away!
Again they had to heal Moonwhisper who was close to death yet again. They followed the stream south and before night fall arrived back in the village. They handed 'Doris' over to the farmer who was extremely grateful.
On their way to the inn, the village lightly shrouded in mist they could see a small group of travelling wagons, each wagon was enclosed, a dwelling, the Vistani were here. Roscoe was excited for they were great fortune tellers. He berated the group to have their fortunes told. They reluctantly agreed.
As they approached the wagons a curtain was pulled back at the rear of one. A woman's voice called.
Woman: "I foresaw your coming, now come for what I have to tell you effects you all collectively not 1 individual. I am Madam Eva"
The group climbed up the 4 steps and into the rear of the enclosed wagon.
They sat around a table and the woman produced a deck of cards and laid 5 cards out.
Madam Eva: "The cards are presented. The future will be revealed. Nothing can be changed."
Madam Eva: "Ah, The Beggar. This card tells of history, knowledge of the ancient will help you better understand your enemy. A wounded Elf has what you seek. He will part with the treasure to see his dark dreams fulfilled.."
Madam Eva: "Ah, The Myrmidon. This is a powerful artifact. A force for good and protection, a symbol most holy to bring great hope. look for a den of wolves in the hills overlooking a mountain lake. The treasure belongs to Mother Night."
Madam Eva: "The Abjurer. This is a card of power and of strength. It foretells a weapon of vengeance, a sword of sunlight. I see a fallen house guarded by a great stone dragon - look to the highest peak!"
Madam Eva: "The broken one, ahh. This card sheds light on one who may assist you greatly in the battle against darkness. I see a man of faith who's sanity hangs by a thread. He has lost someone close to him."
Madam Eva: "The Tempter, for surely he is. I see a secret place - a vault of temptation hidden behind a woman of great beauty. The evil awaits atop his tower of treasure."
Returning to the inn they spent the night listening to another Roscoe rendition of some forgotten king who died in some forgotten battle in some forgotten kingdom centuries ago.
The next day they discussed their options. They decided to head back over the trail and try and pick up Talila's tracks and find her. They gathered their equipment bade Roscoe's cousin farewell and left the village. They had been traveling for no more than 2 hours when the thick, heavy, oppressive mist descended and surrounded them. Disorientated they managed to stay together. They could not evaluate their progress as they had nothing to anchor their sight on. It seemed like they were walking on a treadmill.
Suddenly the mists parted, looking around all was grey. Although the sky was light, it was grey, no hint of the sun. The forest either side of the road seemed oppressive.
Looking into the distance they could see...............................
Player information:
Experience after session 7.
Money left after session 7. ( accommodation charges etc have been levied and removed)
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