33rd fire (8/10/18) - Quality Cyber

Hathun, Third-Week, Third-Day, The Now-Year

The PCs assist the remaining Flaxwall villagers in putting out whatever flames remain from the encounter with the invisible skycraft, and then Kneebro leaves the Hunt to help others escape to a safe place with some cover. Soon, Mamma Boe, Skitti and Un'krug arrive from Briar's Edge to rejoin the rest of the group. The Hunt debates whether to follow the fleeting vehicle or to press on and extinguish the fourth of the Scunj altars at the Ayrie of the Ancients. It is decided to do the latter, so the group marches southward towards the mountain, eventually crossing into the one area of the Plateau where the sky still seems...'natural'. As they arrive at the Ayrie, Mamma Boe and High Hood Lavener decide to fly up on her ladle of flying and get a head start dismantling the southern altar, while the rest slowly ascend the mountainside.

When they arrive at the Lair of 'Saurvax' and the old monastery, they find it abandoned. They enter the cavern and take some precautions, Boe animating skeletons from the prison cavern and then setting them to watch the back ledge near the Scunj research corridor. High Hood eventually gets the job done, getting faster at disarming the light patterns on the altar since he's already done it three prior times. The last chunk of 'natural' sky blinks over to the strange, alien star patterns that now blanket the rest of the Plateau. Out on the ascent, Gatespur of Cleftown notices a strange, spiraling pattern of lights in the sky near the south of the Whipwater Plain. Once Boe and High Hood have flown back to the main Hunt safely, they decide to head towards the source of the spiraling light. They march half way to their destination before going on watch. Flearikz scales a tree in the Verdant, and notices a dim, burning light coming from far to the West, which Slakethirst confirms must be the Place-of-Scales under attack from one of the mysterious airships. Bandana Jakk notices another burst of spiraling light from the North.

Hathun, Third-Week, Fourth-Day, The Now-Year

With news that yet another village is burning, the PCs decide they will break for the Court-of-Crows and mount some sort of last stand should it be assaulted from the air. However, the location where the strange lights were active is en route, and they will check that out first. After several more hours of traveling through the now-endless-twilight, through which bats and animals scurry about in utter confusion, they cross over from the Verdant, and are halted when they find a hallowed out hill that none had ever seen before...right where the origin of the lights was presumed. Part of the hill has been converted into some sort of fortress, with large energy projection weapons set up for defense, and 'manned' by what appear to be a number of Scunj soldiers. Before the Hunt can get its bearings, they are spotted, and thus attempt to siege the structure!

Soon, the Scunj have unleashed to packs of creatures, raptors and sabertooth tigers, which appear to have some sort of alien machinery embedded into them that affects their behavior. Beyond that, a small warband of Scunj shock troops and officers move to defend the once-hidden fortress, several mounting and firing off the large energy cannons set along the wall on platforms. Several of the PCs grab warriors and dimension door up onto the ramparts, while the main body stays out on the clearing south of the fort, dealing with the waves of altered creatures and Scunj soldiers that rush out to meet them. Mamma Boe casts a fog cloud to make it harder for the cannon manners, and a deadly melee breaks out on part of the fort's terraces. Yukkbutt realizes with dismay that the shock troops are wearing thicker suits of the 'plastic' armor which can absorb impact from bludgeoning weapons, while Slakethirst transforms into a brontosaurus, just inside the gate, with the intent to wreak havoc behind the wall!

Below, on the Plain, Mamma Boe and the Hunt's archers unleash pain about the raptors and sabertooths, but the Scunj troopers start concentrating the fire of their blast lances, which proves deadly to the elf warrior Sharps. As the battle goes into full froth, the PCs are surprised when one of the stealthed skyships appears and attempts to vaporize a group of the Hunt, eliminating K'gug the Tall! Can they prevail against such overwhelming odds, even with the enhanced might of the Long Hunt? The fight for the Cleft Plateau rages on towards its conclusion...

Long Hunt Casualties: K'Gug the Tall (slain), Sharps (slain), Kneebro (exits Hunt)

PCs: Borracho, Flearikz, Greech, Mamma Boe, Slakethirst, Vraal, Yukkbutt, Za'ku
XP Rewarded: 5000
Inspiration: --
Renown: --

32nd Fire (6/15/18)

Hathun, Third-Week, First-Day, The Now-Year

Borracho, having the most experience with horns, is chosen to call the Long Hunt using the horn available at the Grand Mask Enclave. SlakeThirst fires a fireball at the sky as a sort of flare, while Vraal uses divination to ask Ydum, his god, how soon it will be until the enigmatic Scunj respond to the PCs shutting down their strange sky altars. Through a wilting daisy, Ydum responds that it could be half a day. Vraal goes out to wander the Court, waiting for any Long Hunt representatives to show up from their respective villages. Greech goes out for a drink at Pilaf's Tavern, and overhears a couple of thugs same that 'Nimmi gave them permission'. The Long Hunters begin to drift in over the next 36 hours, with a good number of familiar faces among them, and some potential rivals. Including the PCs, the roster for the Hunt will be:

Briar's Edge: Un-Krug, Yukkbutt
Cleftown: Borracho, Gatespur, Rekker 'Ogre Knees'
Court-of-Crows: Bandana Jakk, Gundo Shattermouth, Kerrin & Kestrel, Maun the Bastard, Taias 'Bloodbath', Vraal, Za'ku
Dregroot: Huntress Byle, Huntress Slyva
Flaxwall: Kneebro, Skitti
Isle-of-Idylls: Flearikz, Greech 
Misthome: High Hood Lavener, Mamma Boe, Sharps, Sdudder
Place-of-Scales: Slakethirst, Wralasar
Slipstones: Grumdi the Bright
The Nest: K'gug the Tall

PCs were then asked to select among most of the NPC Long Hunters, a 'second' that they can use in addition to their own PC, or exclusively in the case of their PC's potential death.

Hathun, Third-Week, Second-Day, The Now-Year

Several Hunters are happier to be there than others. Wyrmshade is not pleased with the presence of Flearikz. Byle is not ecstatic about the spurious advances of Yukkbutt. Skitti's grasshopper mount Spoog, on the other hand, enjoys the half-orcs affections. Taias is less than thrilled that Maun and Gundo are along, but doesn't see much other choice for fighting men of the Court. Vraal calls a war council and speaks to the assembled company about exactly what they know up to this point, and is met with varying states of disbelief, and questions. When questioned about the validity of the Scunj's strange magical resistance, the PCs provide proof by slashing up their captive and then using magic to heal him. Skitti doesn't seem to agree with the general treatment of the captive.

Soon after, the company notices flashing off in the distant sky to the Southeast of the Court, from around near where Isle-of-Idylls might be located. Then there is a faint orange glow on that horizon, and the PCs believe the elven island village and the surrounding Verdant might have been set alight! Vraal uses tongues to inquire with the captive what is saying, and it seems to laugh at them, and sarcastically responds "Penitence." This enrages the civil cleric so much that he begins bashing in the creature's skull while Yukkbutt holds it tight. Gundo is all to happy to join in, kicking the thing full in the face and then clubbing it to death. In the ensuing panic, the PCs Skitti, Un-Krug and Mamma Boe off to contact Eagle Klah at the nearby Briar's Edge, who can send messages of warning through magic to the other Tribes. The majority of the company decides to make haste towards Flaxwall and find the third altar that High Hood Lavener had encountered some while ago.

Hathun, Third-Week, Third-Day, The Now-Year

After nearly avoiding a nervous stampede of triceratops, thrown out of balance by the altered day/night cycle, the PCs arrive at the Whipwater and an obstacle. Greech shapeshifts into a hippo to cross the river, and then, after studying the druid's technique, Slakethirst polymorphs into a second hippo, not wanting to nearly drown in the river again as he did once before! The two of them manage to ferry the Long Hunt across the water, but it does take some time, and then they proceed into one of the survival daylight zones on the Plateau, and then Flaxwall. Za'ku climbs a tree to check out the place, and it seems unharmed, though several families have gotten the message from Eagle Klah and are fleeing across the fields. Kneebro and Lavener locate the burrow where the gnome had found the altar, and a group of PCs play bodyguard while the High Hood begins to deactivate it. While this is happening, the village is attacked by an invisible airborne assailant flashing rays at the ground that leave fires behind them and half-disintegrate those unfortunate enough to be caught in them.

Slakethirst and Za'ku begin firing at the hidden object, and it is revealed to be a disc-shaped, highly reflective construct or vehicle that stealths itself by mirroring the sky around it. However, once it fires it is very briefly visible until it moves. Vraal follows along as he can, using his Robe of Eyes to spot where it is going, although it moves too quickly to accurately pursue. The strange light distortion it makes is very similar to what Kymyl encountered beyond the Mouth of Saurvax. Flearikz and Za'ky attempt to evacuate as many of the remaining villagers as they can. Meanwhile, the High Hood has upped his game, disarming the altar quicker than before. Once this portion of the Plateau is cast into the strange night sky, the flying object seems to react by leaving the area. The PCs are left with a few smoking buildings, a few hundred confused locals, and a lot of rage.

PCs: Borracho, Flearikz, Greech, Kymyl, Mamma Boe, Slakethirst, Vraal, Yukkbutt, Za'ku
XP Rewarded: 4500
Inspiration: Greech, Vraal
Renown: --

NPCs

Gatespur (human male): A lean, muscular man of middle age, with arms heavily inked in tattoos of various beasts found across the Plateau. His hair is shaven on the sides, long on top and braided down his back, where it ends in jeweled beads; he also wears a stylish, long moustache which droops inches below his chin. He wears a bone-link cuirass of mail on his chest, a studded leather kilt, and leans upon a stone-tipped, dangerous looking spear which endlessly flickers in a ghostly blue flame.

Grumdi the Bright (dwarf male): An ashen skinned dwarf with unusual features, he’s clad in a midnight leather armor suit fixed with small, glittering jewels. His bald maul of a head features a thick brow and square jaw, and he carries a stone pick with a serrated edge. His teeth, when grinning, also seem to have been half replaced with gemstones from where the originals were knocked out of his mouth.

Huntress Slyva (human female): A gaunt, crouched woman with ratty, dirty blonde hair, she has paint smeared across her face from which her green eyes pierce. She is wrapped in hides covered in pockets, and several bone knives’ hilts can be seem protruding from them. A shortbow is hung on her back with a quiver, and she wears bone-spiked sandals on her filthy feet.

Kneebro (halfling male): A humble looking, chubby cheeked halfling with pockmarks and fat sideburns, he’s chewing on a barley root and whistling as he goes. He’s wrapped in a cloak at least one size too large, but tries to keep it under control with a leather sash and a waterskin slung over his shoulder. A broad bone kukri rests comfortably in the sash, and he swings an unlit lantern in his left hand.

Rekker ‘Ogre Knees’ (dwarf male): Stunted looking even for his kind, this elderly dwarf is nonetheless a mass of knotted muscles in motion, his arms and chest so ripped that it looks like a natural form of armor. Patches of gray hair bristle all over his body, and his spiky hair and beard are greased up by the fat of melted prey. He wears bone hoops through his ears, nose and brow, and his beady brown eyes are set deep back in his skull. He uses a broad, two-headed axe to help him walk along, and its crowned by the skull of a young drake.

Sdudder (dwarf male): This young dwarf has a sharp nose over the beginnings of a beard, and his hair is close cropped beneath a helm carved from the skull of some great bird. His black tunic bears the symbol of the Blue Lanterns, and he bears a black lacquered wooden shield, bone longsword and an additional shortsword.

Sharps (elf female): A beautiful, lithe elven female, her long, flat weave of hair is tied tightly to her head by its own braids. She wears a chalk-white tunic and breeches over red-dyed leather, with the Blue Lantern emblem painted onto her tunic. Two slender swords are crossed on sheathes at her back, while a selection of bone daggers, kukris and a short sword are arranged in her belt so she can grab them as needed.

Skitti (halfling female): She rides in on the largest looking grasshopper you’ve ever seen, which is strapped with a saddle. A pair of short spears is slung behind her fur cloak, and she’s draped in fine leather. Her hair is curly, with her left ear lopped off, and her lips are slip down the right side as if she’s been cut there. None of this detracts from her radiant smile and glittering amber eyes, which look curious and hungry.

31st Fire (6/1/18)

Hathun, Second-Week, Tenth-Day, The Now-Year

Un'krug comes down with a severe case of swimmer's itch and decides to rest along the banks of the Moonmirror while the rest of the PCs head off to investigate the mysterious grotto they've learned about. They arrive hours later, in the late afternoon, at a place where a muddy trail has been beaten towards a hollowed out hillock set just off the northeast side of the lake. Kymyl, Slakethirst and Za'ku decide to scout out around the hill and see if there are any dangers or back entrances. The rest of the PC is then surprised by a trio of giant-kin that must have seen them coming, and camouflaged them selves in the lakeside vegetation and mud. Mamma Boe hears one snarl "you don't get our pretties" in the Giant tongue. Two of these things ooze poisonous ichor from every pore and limb, while the third has a strange aura of dangerous, withering energy. The fight is brutal, with several of our heroes being knocked down several times, especially the High Hood Lavener who is trying to flank one of the monstrous assailants; and poison being sprayed everywhere when some of the creatures are attacked.



Eventually, once the scouts return to the group, the battle begins to turn against the brutes, and through a combination of Borracho's fire-based magic spells and massive physical damage, the creatures are brought low. The PCs then send in an invisible Kymyl and Slakethirst to scout out the cavern itself, and they find some riches that the beasts must have accumulated from local (elven) victims, as well as one of the glowing, smooth-metal altars they have come across before at the fields north of Court-of-Crows and in 'Saurvax's' Lair up in the ayrie. High Hood Lavener, now recovered from his poison injuries in the fight, decides to decrypt the glowing patterns emanating from the altar, and once he has studied them for an hour, figures out how he can try to shut them off. The remainder of the party decides to rest and heal their wounds.

Hathun, Third-Week, First-Day, The Now-Year

After getting the blessings from the rest of the PCs, Lavener taps a pattern on the altar, and the lights on the altar die. Nothing seems to have happened until Slakethirst steps outside the cave and notices that a large, pie-wedge shaped slice of the morning sky has disappeared, after a brief series of flashes where it fizzles out. It creates a strange effect, since off in the distance the group can clearly still see the sun shining down on neighboring regions. After sweeping over to pick up Un'krug by the lake, they decide to head off to the nearest pre-discovered altar, near Court-of-Crows, and see if they can replicate this effect. En route, they pass through the Roarwater and Riverbane Orc tribelands without being spied, and then notice at the edge of the night sky the birds and other wildlife are confused about the nocturnal/diurnal chaos created by the altar. They encounter several farmers in the fields south of the Court who are likewise unsure what is happening.

Once they arrive at the 'Demon of the Ditch' lair, where they once cleared out the dangerous ankheg for the farmer Cret Ayshus, they repeat the process with the altar there. Another wedge of sky has disappeared off the Plateau...leaving its northern regions in perpetual night! They now decide to interrogate their strange humanoid captive one more time, via a tongues spell cast my Vraal. It warns them to reverse what they have done, or they will incur the wrath of its people. Perhaps because it is desperate for the PCs not to proceed, it spills out a little more information than it might have given before, telling them that the peoples of the Plateau are part of a long-term experiment. It claims it is from a race called the 'Scunj', which has come from a very distant place, to consume and study the energies known as 'magic', both religious and arcane, which permeate this land, and can cure and empower them, since they have a natural immunity to its ill effects. But it's people can somehow not wield this power, and thus have used their advanced technology to set up experiments and figure out how it can be manifest.

After these revelations, the PCs decide to hold on to their captive just awhile longer. They travel into Court-of-Crows where everyone is in a panic over the sudden appearance of night. They make a brief visit to Ull the sage to have some items identified. After this, they use the authority invested in them by saving the populace of Place-of-Scales, and from the Grand Mask's Enclave they call the Long Hunt, using the great horn to sound off what manpower they will require from the Ten-Tribes.

PCs: Borracho, Flearikz, Kymyl, Mamma Boe, Slakethirst, Vraal, Yukkbutt, Za'ku
XP Rewarded: 3500
Inspiration: ---
Renown: ---

29th Fire (3/16/18)

Hathun, Second-Week, Fifth-Day, The Now-Year

The PCs search the cloudy, acidic cavern high and low. Slakethirst, Mammae Boe and Un'krug head to the mouth of the lair to question their dragonborn prisoner about what it was that they just dealt with. Greech, meanwhile, has returned after guiding the dragonborn to the lower plateau and the waterfall they can climb to escape back down the Ayrie. He transforms into a baboon, trying to scale the cliff, and falling half to his death. Mamma Boe then spies him and helps him out. After probing around the acid-filled cavern, Vraal and Un'Krug wander off into a neighboring corridor, while Yukkbutt begins to goad and defile the sleeping, ancient dragon they see on one side of the cavern. The cleric and barbarian find Chief Wralasar in the neighboring chamber, minus a leg and an arm that were removed from him, the wounds cauterized. More PCs drift into this chamber, and they all search the area and find some curiosities strewn about the refuse that has piled up there. Flearikz jumps from cage to cage near the ceiling, but finds no more surviving prisoners. Borracho notices something a little strange, one of the sleeping ancient's eyes opening, but doesn't pay it much heed.

The PCs decide to go rest their wounds in the monastery ruins below the cavern, but SlakeThirst, Yukkbutt and Greech remain behind. The dragonborn transforms into a tyrannosaurus rex to start chewing out his slain father's heart, while Yukkbutt watches on with glee. In the midst of the carnage, both the polymorphed SlakeThirst and Greech notice both of the sleeping ancient's eyes opened, and Greech notices a reflection that is not his own before the eyes shut again, possibly some automatic sleep response. The druid also hears a mechanical grinding. The trio then heads down to the ruins below to inform the others of what they have seen. Mamma Boe flies off to nearby Misthome, and tells them she'll be at her home there if they need a place to gather their thoughts. Vraal reminds the group that they have a potential war with the ogres on their hands, and need to get back on the brutes' tracks across the Plateau. The group then rests the nights, the only disturbance being a massive avian that glides over the ruins but does not appear to be another dragon.

Hathun, Second-Week, Sixth-Day, The Now-Year

After waking, Borrach and Kymyl decide to dimension door back up to the lair briefly to check on the sleeping dragon once more, and investigate the odd occurrence with its eyes. Sure enough, after a brief wait, they notice the strange reflections as the eyes flitter open once more. Kymyl begins to hear some strange clicking and squealing noises from inside the cave, and examines it to find a hatch on one of the dragon's jaws...it turns out that this is not in fact Saurvax, but some sort of false, detailed proxy for the legendary creature. Once he and Borracho get through the hatch, they are stunned to find a strange corridor filled with odd, shining structures and devices similar to others the PCs have come across in the past couple months. They also find four of the weird 'reflections', one of which attacks them with a ray weapon while the others retreat to a ledge on the back of the mountain. The pair are able to drive them off, knocking the shooter unconscious. Greech, meanwhile, thinks they've been gone too long and climbs back up to the cave in a spider form.

After defeating the strange humanoid, Borracho takes it and dimension doors back to the ruins below, where the PCs bind, blindfold and mute it. Kymyl follows the rest to the ledge above, but they seem to have disappeared...for a moment, he notes a strange hum, his hairs standing on end, and then a displacement of the light. A moment later, the sun seems to disappear, replaced by blue sky, only for an instant, and then returns. Greech surprises the monk later, before turning back into half-elf form, and then SlakeThirst and Yukkbutt come up to explore what Borracho has found. Below, Vraal begins to interrogate the strange creature, using tongues. It claims to be a deformed orphan from one of the Ten-Tribes, and would prefer death to captivity. It is also quite snarky and condescending to the PCs, calling them all savages. It claims that it and its friends were just wandering around when they themselves find the strange cavern, and then witnessed the fight outside the false-dragon. Un'Krug recognizes the thing as looking just like the enigmatic bounty hunter Diedeath the Mad which was pursuing Cynjak some weeks ago, only dressed much differently. Vraal also recognizes that it looks like the being on one of the giant engraved panels down in the City of the Carvers.

After searching and looting what weird charts and items they can from the glimmering corridor, the PCs above shatter some of the tubes and cylinders and return to the monastery. They all decide they will go to Misthome and seek answers from some of the scholars there about this strange turn of events.

PCs: Borracho, Flearikz, Greech, Kymyl, SlakeThirst, Un'Krug, Vraal, Yukkbutt, Za'ku
XP Rewarded: 2700
Inspiration: --
Renown: All PCs maxed out at 15 with Place-of-Scales.

28th Fire (2/2/18)

Hathun, Second-Week, Fourth-Day, The Now-Year

With the emergence of Greech, Flearikz, Za'ku and Mamma Boe from their cages in the monastery, the tide of the battle swiftly turns, with the last remaining dragonborn cultists and their scaled pets either driven away from the ruins or slain. Borracho clings to life after being healed, and then the group surveys the ruin for any hidden enemies. While several of them are being magically healed, or brought back from unconsciousness, the innocent Place-of-Scales Villagers are set free, and Greech the druid decides to march them down the mountainside to relative safety before setting them back on track to their home village. The PCs learn from a captured guard that Chief Wralasar is probably in the cavern up the wall of the Ayrie from the plateau on which the monastery lies. They recover all their equipment and then set about arming the surviving villagers with bone weaponry that was stolen from their home. Then they decide to rest for a day before risking the cavern, where they suspect Pergeron's handlers are hiding.

Hathun, Second-Week, Fifth-Day, The Now-Year

Using Mamma Boe's magical ladle, the PCs transport themselves up to the cavern and find some torches flickering faintly near the entrance. They decide to leave the guard prisoner hanging by rope form the entrance so he can't go anywhere or alert any of his higher ups. The caverns and corridors beyond are quite large, and after some scouting, Kymyl and Za'ku find out why...the next area is full of glowing green slime and acrid fogs, and also the lair of a huge, misshapen green dragon. As the rest of the party catches up, Slakethirst screams in bloodthirsty recognition of his father...and while there seems to be some faint acknowledgment from the beast, it doesn't seem to be entirely there, so warped and mutated by the glowing green gunk pooled in the center of the room! A battle ensues, with Acidtongue dealing damage with its breath attack, claws and bite, then flying up to safety in the eaves of the cavern when possible; but even though he's able to bring down a good percentage of the party, his disfigurements have neutered his power...he can only take so much alone, and the PCs, through a number of spell attacks, the last of which is delivered by Borracho...destroy the thing.



PCs: Borracho, Flearikz, Kymyl, Mamma Boe, Un'Krug, Vraal, Yukkbutt, Za'ku
XP Rewarded: Experience Totals were Reset in this game due to a broadening level spread and disparities between blog-recorded XP and what was on a lot of the character sheets. These have been recorded on the player roster and then the 3800 XP from this session added.
Inspiration: ---
Renown: ---

27th Fire (11/17/17)

Hathun, Second-Week, Fourth-Day, The Now-Year

After their narrow victory in the tunnel below the Ayrie, the PCs rest and heal from the mortal wounds so many of them suffered. They backtrack a little to search the giant's hovel below for anything of use, and then decide to press upward and onward. Soon after, they discover that the tunnel has been blocked off with a large mass of stone rubble, which requires a great long time and some magical assistance. Once through, they pass the rest of the tunnel uneventfully, eventually arriving at daylight. A sole dragonborn guard and its pet drake are guarding the tunnel, but the mighty Slakethirst bears a disguise and cons him into thinking he has taken the non-dragonborn prisoners for the cult. They pass by the poor scaly sucker, though his drake does seem a little less trusting.

Within one of the small pyramids among the green dragon cult's ruined monastery, the Misthome adventurers continue to stay imprisoned. Guards arrive and drag off the elf Flearikz, taunting the others in the process, while the neighboring cells are full of nervous chatter from the captives from Place-of-Scales. When a ruckuss breaks out at the monastery's walls, the two guards move to the entrance of the structure's dungeon, giving these heroes their chance to break out. And true enough, the main body of PCs has breached the outer wall of the ruin, alerting the green dragon cultists within, including the young dragon itself, Pergeron and Mosshe the Markswyrm. A frenetic and violent battle breaks out, with the chained and malnourished dragonborn prisoners staring on in shock and desperation...

The PCs take a hammering, but through a mixture of might and magic they manage to bring down most of the ground guards and their pets, even Pergeron eventually falls. By this point, the PCs held captive have now managed to break free and take on their two guards with nary but their skills, spells and bare hands, and they have grabbed their weapons and begun to fight out in the monastery. After a grueling trial, Borracho manages to let loose the final spell to bring the young green dragon crashing, before he is himself laid low by the drake guard-dogs. As the two groups of PCs, one recently liberated and fresh for battle, and the other weary and largely unconscious, the dwarf bard clings on desperately for life...a contest which will only be determined by the roll of a die...

PCs: Borracho, Greech, Kymyl, Mamma Boe, SlakeThirst, Un'Krug, Vraal, Yukkbutt, Za'ku
XP Rewarded: 3200 (though XP reset is coming up)
Inspiration: ---
Renown: The Ten-Tribes (a point), Place-of-Scales (5 points)

26th Fire (9/29/17)

Hathun, Second-Week, Fourth-Day, The Now-Year

A younger green dragon carries a dragonborn up to the mountainside monastery, and then tears her apart to make an example to the other Place-of-Scales prisoners. Among them is a quartet of Misthome-based adventurers, including Flearikz, Greech, Mamma Boe and Za'ku, who were captured by the green dragonborn ascendants some time ago. All recoil in horror at the grisly feast, fearing what might become of them next.

Backtrack, one day prior: Kymyl scales the stalactite that exits the City of the Carvers to the mountainside above, and proceeds along the path that his companions' blazed before him. He finds the mysterious dome, the broken automaton, and other signs as he tracks them across the mountain trail and to the waterfall, which he deftly begins to ascend. Above, Slakethirst and Borracho have finally finished their aerial scouting mission, when they notice the lone monk's climb, and swoop down to assist him. The three press on through the trampled jungle plateau, discovering Nexos and his sister's remains. After a brief conversation, the handsome lad decides he should leave with whatever he can salvage of her. The trio of PCs then discover the bodies above...and the stone lean-to which leads to the tunnel into the Ayrie...

The battle within the tunnel is joined by a group of dragonborn ascendant berserkers, sorcerers and trained drake pets, and it gets brutal quickly, with the sorcerers weaving magic to hinder the half-orc brothers and their companions, and the melee combatants beginning to take chunks out of them. The dragonborn escapee Noogal is taken down after valiantly standing her ground for as long as possible, but there is new hope when, unbeknownst to Yukkbutt, Un'krug and Vraal, their struggle has been heard further down the tunnel.

Meanwhile, the quartet of adventurers are forced into a pit fight against four dragonborn from the Place-of-Scales, presumably to convert them into bloodthirsty ascendants. However, they have met their match and are quickly disarmed by the veterans, even without their regular equipment! The green dragon observer is quite amused, and realizes it can use these 'guests' to further his cause, and potentially force a large conversion rate to serve his master Saurvax. The group is marched back to its cell below the monastery grounds.

At last, SlakeThirst, Borracho and Kymyl arrive to assist their allies in the tunnel brawl, and nearly too late, as they are overwhelmed and swarmed by the tactics and ferocity of the ascendant and their pets. But they don't simply lie down and die, rushing further in to face off against the casters, and are only finished off through a desperate combination of healing and self-sacrifice by the heroes. As the last of the dragonborn berserkers falls, the reality dawns upon the party of how beaten down they have come, how uncertain their near future, as their numbers are so greatly diminished...

PCs: Borracho, Flearikz, Greech, Kymyl, Mamma Boe, SlakeThirst, Un'Krug, Vraal, Yukkbutt, Za'ku
XP Rewarded: 3800
Inspiration: ---
Renown: ---

25th Fire (8/18/17)

Hathun, Second-Week, Fourth Day, the Now Year

The PCs begin to hike further up the Ayrie, arriving at a rocky area pocked with cavern entrances and overgrown vegetation. Within one of the caverns, two dragonborn have been hiding, after escaping from Pergeron's cultists with the held of the witch Shaul Lutrang. She was slain during the escape, but her two charges, Hogarth and Noogal, managed to eke out shelter and some weapons. Slakethirst is hesitant to believe the pair, thinking they might be a trap sent by Pergeron, but they prove their story the best they can, and win the trust of the party. The group travels further north, until the mountain hits a steep incline and they have to climb ledges through a waterfall to traverse any higher. Slakethirst air-lifts Borracho up to scout ahead, disappearing from the party.

After the grueling trial up the waterfall, led by Yukkbutt (who finds a jeweled grappling hook in the process), the PCs arrive in a misty, small, dense jungle plateau, in which they find several trampled paths and an abundance of wildlife. After traveling another quarter or half mile through the vegetation, they arrive at a shabby stone lean-to which serves as the home to a strange mountain giant and her massive, quadroped dinosaur pet. Unable to communicate with these creatures, she and the beast decide they must be snacks, and a melee ensues, with Nexa and the giant exchanging ranged attacks, and the rest of the party closing in. Cynjak and Nahar are laid out a number of times by the pairs' massive clubbing and stomping, only to have Vraal standby to revive them, and the fight is eventually turned against the mammoths...first, the giant falls, then her enraged companion. However, through the fight, Vraal and others have noticed that several winged enemies, possibly of Pergeron's cult, are circling above, noticing the clamor below...

Then Nexa fires off a spell at one of these winged creatures...a dragon! It in turn dives and breathes a poison cloud over most of the already-weakened party, killing Nahar outright and taking down the other paladin and Hogarth, one of the new dragonborn to join the party. Nexa runs off, terrified at the damage she has caused, while the half-orc barbarians, Noogal the dragonborn and Vraal all make a path straight for the giantess' shelter. Within, they find a cavernous slope that seems to lead up to the next shelf of the Ayrie, on which the dragonborn refugees are apparently being imprisoned. Outside, the green dragon lands and rends the corpses of the paladins to pieces, also snatching up the ailing Hogarth and taking her off to the monastery for a later snack... Nexa exchanges fire with the two winged dragonborn (the other two flying shapes), and they eventually bring her down with witch bolts and proceed to devour her corpse, in a grim twist of irony!

Racing up the slope, the four survivors halt in the darkness when they hear the sound of a small force of drakes and dragonborn berserkers bearing down upon them. Vraal uses as much healing as he can before the inevitable confrontation...

PCs: Cynjak, Hogarth, Nahar, Nexa, Noogal (NPC), Un'Krug, Vraal, Yukkbutt
XP rewarded: 1900
Inspiration rewarded: ---
Renown: ---

24th Fire (7/28/17)

Hathun, Second-Week, Third-Day, the Now Year

As Nahar and Barnowl scramble up the rope to the Carvers' stalactite exit route, the paladin slips and plunges into the darkness of the city below. Nexos strikes off to look for him, while Slakethirst flies near the top of the rope to provide cover for his friends. Once Barnowl gets up the rope, a few of his allies slowly start making their way up after him, but at a normal pace. The mercenary is pressed on all sides by a wave of horrid aberrations, gricks and grells and some sort of super-grick, and he is quickly overwhelmed and left unconscious while the melee is joined. The creatures' climbing and flight abilities give them a heavy advantage in this terrain, plus there is an invisible, cackling wild card flinging spells randomly at our heroes!

At one point, Borracho is mentally compelled by magic to flee, and uses his feather fall to get away from the fighting up on the stalactite, then attempting to himself suggest to Cynjak and Nexa that they should also depart the battle. Upset, the sorceress flings a lightning bolt at one of the grells above, making sure it also slams the dwarf in the face! Bewildered, he doesn't retaliate, unsure of why she doesn't see the sense in his actions. Above, the PCs finally manage to get a hand on the melee against the aberrations, making their way through them and eventually taking down the larger grick and remaining grells, one of which had flown low...but not before Slakethirst has been knocked down onto the stalactite, also unconscious and playing the death game! Nahar manages to rejoin the fight right before its end, offering some added melee power.

Alas, Barnowl doesn't survive the bleed-out...but the dragonborn warlock gets lucky in the nick of time. The PCs briefly curse and mourn, and the party members below make their way up, trying not to slip on the brains, guts and tentacles strewn about the battle site. Yukkbutt claims the large grick's beak for himself, to strap on as an impromptu helmet. Vraal discovers that a robe covered in eye-like patterns has been left behind for the PCs, with a note inside on parchment that reads 'IRONY' in the Dwarf tongue. The heroes make their way further up the stalactite, to emerge in a half-eggshell shaped dome on the mountains surface above. More scenes are carved into the walls of this area, like the mosaics below in the city, but seem to depict a normal skyline, with dragons and hawks, sun and moons, clouds and stars. From outside, Cynjak hears an unusual, slight grinding sound, and when she looks outside, sees something moving slowly about the structure in a semi-regular pattern.

Hathun, Second-Week, Fourth Day, the Now Year

Once morning arrives, the party investigates the moving object, which appears to be a slim stone automaton wielding an ancient bronze bell, part of which is destroyed. As they approach, Yukkbutt gets the idea to attack it with one of the animals from his bag of tricks, and a bear appears, moving to maul the unfortunate construct. Once it realizes its not food, it doesn't know what to do, so the half-orc moves up and dismantles the automaton, and Cynjak mercifully smashes up whatever parts of it are still moving. Mend is cast upon the bell, and then Vraal tolls it, causes a reverberation in the dome they slept under, and then a massive booming in the city beneath, which shakes the mountainside a bit before stopping. The PCs then decide to scale a path heading further up the Ayrie.

PCs: Barnowl, Borracho, Cynjak, Nexa, Slakethirst, Un'Krug, Vraal, Yukkbutt
XP rewarded: 2750
Inspiration rewarded: ---
Renown: ---

23rd Fire (6/30/17)

Hathun, Second-Week, Third-Day, the Now Year

After several days at Briar's Edge, Lord Barnowl and Nahar have assured that Eagle Klah sends out messenger birds to the other Ten-Tribes, and stocked up on some supplies. Once the chieftain has successfully scryed out the location of their companions, he arranges transport by a strange spell that warps them to a tree in the vicinity of the City of the Carvers. Surprised to see them, the other PCs get them up to speed on what has transpired with the dragonborn, and the group as a whole decides to explore the underground City to possibly find an easier access point to the monastery where the rogue dragonborn and their masters have abducted the rest of the Place-of-Scales populace.

They find a 'warning' sign left to them by the Blue Lantern Society of Misthome, but proceed through to encounter a trio of strange, fungal creatures which deliver devastating tendril slams and also drain their victims of their life's essence. Many forms of attack seem ineffective, but they manage to turn the threat around and eliminate the things. Barnowl empties out some crude ceremonial urns which have been placed nearby, and then the party heads into the cavern proper, a large underground city composed largely of squat stone one-story homes, stagnant aqueducts and wells, and several larger, anomalous structures and plazas that stand out. The city is built both horizontally and vertically, with homes and stairways claiming purchase on the walls of the cavern. They decide to go around the edges and, for the meantime, avoid the large plaza area at the City center.

Their first stop is a base camp that was left behind for several years by a team of halfling and dwarf explorers, and after consulting a diary that Nexos finds in a ruined tent, they discern that the leader of the expedition has gone mad, and the rest of their number have disappeared or been slain while exploring and researching the place. They next decide to follow an aqueduct to its source, which strangely winds up one of the wells on the floor... Nearby, they find a series of large bas-relief stone slabs which seem to depict various cataclysmic events throughout the Carvers' ancient history, though the PCs themselves don't recognize much of it, except Cynjak, who notices a similarity between one figure in the fifth slab and the bizarre humanoid they fought called Diedeath the Mad, whom was originally mistake for some sort of elf or doppelganger. The Carver artist responsible for these masterful sculptures is known as 'Lumus'.

Next they discover a mausoleum of sorts, with a large spiral stairway that leads down hundreds of feet into the depths of the Underdark. They decide to vacate the space, since it's headed in the wrong direction than the one they intend. They head over to another anomalous structure, originally walled off from the rest of the City, and find a large armory with specialized stations for creating stone and bone weapons. A concealed cache of high quality ('masterwork') weapons is then unearthed, and the PCs arm themselves, including Barnowl's acquisition of stone plate mail. Afterwards, they continue to skirt the outer edges of the City, finding a massive stalactite in the Northwest corner, which descends to 60' off the cavern floor. A stone ladder that once granted access has been shattered, but since this was apparently an escape route with a spiral stone stairway leading to the roof of the cave, they decide to get themselves up there with some ropes and a flying dragonborn warlock.

While scouting the stalactite, SlakeThirst notices some sinuous, strange creature climbing about its exterior, and then is ambushed when a lightning bolt is hurled at him...he manages to dodge much of the blow, and then hears a female cackling voice...Nahar and Barnowl scurry up the rope with potions of climbing as the rest of the party prepares to deal with this threat that might block their access to the mountains above.

PCs: Barnowl, Borracho, Cynjak, Nahar, Nexa, SlakeThirst, Un'Krug, Vraal, Yukkbutt
XP rewarded: 2550
Inspiration rewarded: None
Renown: None

22nd Fire (5/26/17)

Hathun, First-Week, Tenth-Day, the Now Year

Nexa reunites with her handsome twin brother, who seems to smell of various fruits to various observers and has a strange charm about him. He is ecstatic to see her again. Meanwhile, the PCs encounter a group of bullwugs that seek refuge in the wetlands, and have scoped out this specific underground area. After a brief, friendly communication, the PCs welcome the frog-folk to stay, as they will be taking off in the morning.

Hathun, Second-Week, First-Day, the Now Year

The PCs depart back to The Nest, at which point Barnowl and Nahar decide to split from the group, and head off to Briar's Edge to warn Eagle Klah, a Ten-Tribes chieftain they believe can help quickly communicate the warning of the ogres' battle plans to the remaining Tribes. The others go to speak with WaxMeister Sprue, who helps them translate what knowledge he can of the note they found in the ogres' hideout. They also convince him to lend them his golden sword, which they discover can glow in the presence of other gold, and is a handy magical weapon. There is then some discussion about where to turn next, and they decide to march south to the Place-of-Scales, which was also on one of the ogres' routes, and warn the dragonborn of their immediate danger. They travel through the day and on into the night, with only minor encounters, and then decide to rest a few miles north of the dragonborn village.

Hathun, Second-Week, Second-Day, the Now Year

As they approach the Place-of-Scales from the north, they discover it to be empty, a few sets of bones the only remnants of its dragonborn citizenry. They search pretty thoroughly through the caves, to find that all but the most valuable items have been left behind. One of the local caves on the south side of the Whipwater is not empty, and the PCs encounter the merchant Tyvim Jaava, who they believe to also be a former adventurer of some note. Vraal almost convinces the older man to join up with their group, and he will be compensated with anything valuable they find, but Yukkbutt ruins that opportunity by playing a prank on the merchant, who becomes quite offended. At any rate, he tells the party that Pergeron and his flunkies have spurred on a great exodus of the dragonborn to the Ayrie of the Ancients where they are to meet with other dragon cultists and be assimilated into their birthright...

Due to their previous run-ins with Pergeron, and SlakeThirt's stakes in the situation, the PCs decide they will in fact follow this exodus, stopping off briefly at the now-trampled little refugee camp where they first met Borracho and others. They press on, making the lengthy journey to the west, skirting the edge of the Plateau. En route, they encounter a mysterious, extravagant woman who is talking to and feeding birds off the cliff's edge. Through magical means, Cynjak divines that she is some sort of celestial, so they approach her with caution, but sparks nearly fly when she insults the green dragonborn and irks SlakeThirst, who is ready to attack her. The woman transforms into a flying rainbow serpent and then flies off! The party continues to make camp.

Hathun, Second-Week, Third-Day, the Now Year

As they press further towards the Ayrie, the PCs uncover a scene where some large wooden carts and oxen have been crushed and slaughtered by something monstrous. They find footprints that are far too large for the dragonborn they are tracking, and in fact there seem to be dragonbon tracks making a wide path around the site to avoid whatever happened there. They continue, ever closer to the foothills of the Ayrie, when they come across several massive wooden cages which appear to have large rings atop them that can be grasped. SlakeThirst surmises that, with draconic help, Pergeron's refugees were lifted up the mountain to a monastery that the rainbow serpent had hinted at. It would be far too dangerous for the dragonborn to attempt to fly up there, lifting the other PCs, so they look about for another means they might access the heights of the Ayrie...and standing, looming before them is a cavern entrance to the City of the Carvers...a ruin beneath the mountains, from which few who have set foot have ever returned.

PCs: Borracho, Cynjak, Kymyl, Nexa, SlakeThirst, Un'Krug, Vraal, Yukkbutt
XP rewarded: 2050
Inspiration rewarded: None
Renown: None

21st Fire (4/21/17)

Hathun, First-Week, Ninth-day, the Now Year

After facing off with the butterfly swarms, the PCs are rejoined by SlakeThirst who has been catching up with them after leaving The Nest, and briefly encountering a fairy hunter en route. They decide to further search the caverns before taking a long rest, and after some diving, Nahar and Yukkbutt find a smooth metallic cylinder with spikes on the end, looking like it's made from a strange but familiar alloy that they've run across before. Borracho studies the weapon briefly and learns how it can be operated to produce an electrical charge when prodding a target. The characters take a long rest before pressing forward through the caves...

Hathun, First-Week, Tenth-day, the Now Year

After waking, it's pitch dark in the Verdant, and the PCs get to work blasting and burning away the rotten tree-rubble that blocks their further access into the caves. The smoke attracts a green dragon, which breathes poison gas into the caves after being instigated. In order to save his party, the warlock SlakeThirst makes a personal challenge, which is rejected by the dragon, who claims the dragonborn is 'reserved' for his own father, who supposedly has transitioned into a full dragon. SlakeThirst shoots the dragon anyway, who destroys him and sends him falling to the cavern below. Somehow, Slake survives, just on the edge of death. The party heals itself briefly before breaking through the wooden barrier...

And into an equally frightening situation, since the lair's residents, a group of Muckmouth ogres and an elephant-ogre hybrid giant, await them, guarding several prisoners that are in tightly bound cages. The shapeshifting quarry, some sort of green hag, joins the fight in Yukkbutt's form to confuse them, but Nahar and Barnowl quickly realize what's going on and press her in melee. The conditions of the cavernous area favor the PCs and their spellcasters, and while the enemies employ some runestones and scrolls to fend them off, they are ultimately victorious. They then find an 'Atak Plan' map, a letter to the ogre chieftains of the Arbordark, and three of the Wasp Rider survivors, including the chief Tanziver himself. The last prisoner happens to be a young human, who looks strikingly like Nexa...and claims in fact to be her twin brother!

The PCs hustle off to The Nest and Briar's Edge to warn of the ogre's larger plans.

PCs: Barnowl, Borracho, Cynjak, Kymyl, Nahar, Nexa, Un'Krug, Vraal, Yukkbutt
XP Rewarded: 2300
Inspiration rewarded: 1 each (to whoever needed one)
Renown: 5 (Wasp Rider)

NPCs

Nexos (human male): A straggly but handsome teenage waif, standing just over five feet, with smooth tan skin and ruffled, dark hair that offset his cool blue eyes. He wears the tattered remains of a white tiger-skin as a cloak and loincloth, but is otherwise uncovered, with bony ribs evident. He looks strikingly familiar, in fact…

Taffi (gnome female): A wiry female with thickly knotted braids slick with beeswax, she has two floral patterns tattooed on her ruddy tan cheeks and a scar running down her forehead and left cheek. Her eyes are a liquid green and her smile reveals about 50% of her teeth are broken.

Tanziver (gnome male): An aged male with what seems a permanent smirk on his face, this gnome has some of the most elaborately braided beard and nose hair you’ve come across yet, with beads and j   ewels in elaborate displays. His long, thin nose seems to have been recently broken and there are cuts from where piercings seem to have been removed.

Trundle (gnome male): A pudgy gnome with a head like an anvil, balding with sharp feathered edges to the hair that remains on the sides and back of his head, that run onto mutton chops on his face. His pot belly is covered in scale armor and his cheeks constantly puff out as if he’s chewing something.

20th Fire (3/3/17)

Hathun, First-Week, Eighth-day, the Now-Year

The PCs decide to track their quarry to the Southwest, finding some tracks that match the humanoid size they've seen before on this manhunt. As the sky darkens, they spy a human in a nearby tree in the Verdant, watching them. He claims his name is 'Groat' and that he's been stalking an evil fairy for several days through the area, and he attempts to enlist the PCs' assistance in nabbing the creature. The party scuffles over how to deal with him, some in favor of helping him and others thinking he's a useless distraction on the way to their true quarry...or rather, the quarry itself! Little do they know, the man's 'prey' has heard them muscling the hunter and approached them himself, and finally presents himself...an ascetic with a higher purpose. After some chat, it's decided they will leave Groat behind without his crossbow and take Kymyl, the wood elf 'fairy', along with them.

Soon after, they set up camp for the night. But their sleep is interrupted when they hear a shriek. As they follow up, they find that a gnome whose foot has been cut off was trying to crawl towards the Nest, but he was slain by a constrictor snake which slips off into the wetlands. Judging by the tattoos running up the gnomes arms, he was indeed a Wasp Rider, one that Barnowl briefly remembers seeing back in the village.

Hathun, First-Week, Ninth-day, the Now-Year

The next morning, the journey continues until the PCs find the tracks leading to an overgrown pond next to a massive, fallen, vine-encrusted tree trunk that looks hollowed out. As they approach around and over the pond, they are confronted by some muddy, strange creatures which can slash them with terrible wooden claws and spit acid at a good distance. They manage to take down the creatures, but not without receiving some heavy hits themselves, and several getting knocked unconscious. After searching the muck, they find some baubles and items that the creatures were carrying. They then approach the mighty, fallen trunk, to discover that the vines and kudzu over the base conceals a cavern passage below the pond.

At the base of the slope, the water seems to end, and there are dry, earthen caves beyond. In the first, they find the corpses of several gnomes picked apart somehow, and several giant crushed insects. Patches of green and orange vegetation on the walls turn out to be swarms of carniverous insects similar to butterflies, and the two colors swarm the party, blinding and doing great damage to whoever they can envelop. The party manages to take them down, but not without another brutal fight, and after dispersing the last little fiends they must decide whether to press on further or take another rest, at risk of their quarry getting even further away.

PCs: Barnowl, Borracho, Cynjak, Kymyl, Nahar, Nexa, Un'Krug, Vraal, Yukkbutt
XP Rewarded: 2200
Inspiration rewarded: --
Renown: --

NPCs

Groat (human male): A filthy, average height human approaching middle age, with greasy black hair so messed up that it creates a natural pompadour atop his head. His whiskers have grown out of control, he wears a leopard or lion's skin (you aren't quite sure), and his teeth are almost completely bent at odd angles. His one armament is a light bone crossbow.

19th Fire (1/13/17)

Hathun, First-Week, Seventh-day, the Now-Year

Un-krug and Barnowl secure the oxen and oversized cart they will used to travel back towards the Nest, while other PCs perform last minute transactions. Pilaf offers Borracho full time work as an entertainer and masher at the Tavern, after being impressed with the dwarf's own brewing, but the bard politely declines, leaving Pilaf with a jug of his mash to console him. Vraal confers with Udiqa who praises the cleric's decision to help the PCs find the missing Wasp Riders. SlakeThirst tries to recruit some cannon fodder from the village swap meet, but only finds a small audience there. One of the audience, a blind old man asks the dragonborn if he is the 'traitor' to his kind often spoken of, and SlakeThirst responds with an eldritch blast, almost killing the fool! He stabilizes him and then beats a fast path westward out of the Court-of-Crows! The others begin to hear details of the violent episode.

On his way back to the group, Vraal heals the victim Blind Del, who then makes his way to the Enclave to report the incident to Captain Taias Bloodbath. En route he runs across Cynjak and after a perverse exchange, offers to serve the paladin as a personal slave. She refuses, then makes her own way back to the wagon, which is now ready to roll. The PCs exit the Court-of-Crows, to head back to the Nest, and they pick up SlakeThirst on the way. After an uneventful day and evening of travel, they set up camp before the Whipwater, and establish watches. SlakeThirst flies across the river, afraid to try and ford it with the rest. Through the night, there is various fuckery involving a bag of tricks, a Giant Hyena, a sleeping Barnowl, and peeing.

Hathun, First-Week, Eighth-day, the Now-Year

The heroes return to the Nest, to find it rather tranquil. Barnowl visits the staff at Tanziver's tree, and sure enough, the Wasp Riders have not yet returned. The PCs go to collect Nahar who is still helping out the Seer after her maid was killed by the mysterious shapechanging assassin, and they inquire after Klovak, who the paladin hasn't seen lately. They search for the hunter, only to find his discarded skin stuffed into a honeycombed mushroom! Cynjak's dire wolf steed sniffs out a potential culprit at the Waxworks, but then the PCs are confronted by Waxmeister Sprue. It turns out that all the gnome workers there have a similar scent to what the wolf found, but Vraal and Nahar are allowed to investigate the interior of the business while the rest of the party goes back to the Seer with the remains of poor Klovak...

Inside the Waxworks, the two heroes are shown the top inner level which is where the honey farm is primarily located, and then when descending to the lower level, they come across some waxy partitions in the walls which might be the golems the Waxmeister warned them about. The lower interior level is both an arcane study for Sprue and the place where he comes up with all of his candle designs. They find strange glyphs and a golden sword, and then Sprue reveals that he came about the metallic weapon after opening a portal into what he believes is the lost kingdom of Sunken Spires! He beseeches the PCs to join him once the moons have aligned and he can open the portal once again, and as payment he will give them the golden sword and any other metal weapons they might find.

Klovak's remains are brought to Gnoreen, who casts speak with dead. They discover that Klovak was indeed slain by the taloned humanoid enigma they have been tracking, some days before, while the creature was in the guise of Lord Barnowl! Barnowl vehemently denies that he is the creature, but some discord has fomented. Yukkbutt begins to perv out over the old Seer, disgusting his party, while Barnowl actually discovers the rest of the maid's remains under a floorboard! Nahar and Vraal rejoin them to share the latest info, though they have found no trace of the murderer in the Waxworks. The PCs scatter about further to seek more evidence on the mysterious killer. SlakeThirst and Borracho round up as many gnome citizens as they can find to look them over, while Vraal, Nahar and Nexa find the rest of Klovak's 'meat' hidden down in the Wasp Riders' Roost.

Large, clawed tracks are found, similar to what was originally followed to the Nest. They lead back out of the Roost and down to the southwest of the village and out. The PCs have discerned that not only is their quarry incredibly intelligent, but potentially obsessed with its original mark (Nahar) and prone to toying with their perceptions as much as possible. Un-Krug goes to speak with the colossal toad, still lounging at Flumi's Fishery, and it seems to be nearing the complete consumption of the fish pond. He uses his totemic ability once more to speak with the creature, and it confirms in its limited capacity that a large female humanoid did recently leave the village to the southwest! The PCs deliberate whether they should follow, or if this is another ruse by their prey to throw them off...

PCs: Barnowl, Borracho, Cynjak, Nahar, Nexa, SlakeThirst, Un'Krug, Vraal, Yukkbutt
XP Rewarded: 2000
Inspiration rewarded: --
Renown: --

NPCs

Blind Del (human male): A wiry, sightless old man who is accosted by SlakeThirst after asking the dragonborn if he is the traitor, even though he meant it as a compliment. Often found at the local swap meet in Court-of-Crows wearing a leopard-skin loincloth and carrying a bowl for pittances that the villagers can spare him. Also a bit of a lecher, as Cynjak discovers.

Jobbi (gnome male): One of the workers at the Waxworks in the Nest, he claims he is working on making 'Fifth Assistant' to Waxmeister Sprue once the PCs detain him for questioning, thinking he might be the shapechanging assassin in disguise. Normally a cheerful, average gnome with black and gray flaked hair and less exotic features than other villagers.

18th Fire (12/9/16)

Hathun, First-Week, Sixth-day, the Now-Year

The battle at the Grand Mask's enclave intensifies within the gates, and without. The ogre mage unleashes an onslaught against the heroes outside, manage to take down several. Nexa flees in fear from the battle, but is replaced by Yor who comes upon the sight. Meanwhile, Kaarl and Captain Taias find themselves cornered within, holding out bravely against the odd giants that assault them. Despite the assistance of Vancal the Wage, they are unable to press the fight much longer, and Kaarl is then devoured by one of the ravenous brutes.

After dealing with the half-orc brothers outside, the ogre mage follows SlakeThirst inside the walls, goaded into a magical duel after nearly being slain itself. After going invisible, the mage manages to knock the dragonborn out of the sky, but not killing him. Yor bleeds out to death after he valiantly tries to turn the tide of battle, and then Vancal the Wage is also slain shortly afterward. Captain Taias and Barnowl manage to finish off the ogres and one of the giants, but by the end of the fight, almost all of our heroes are either out cold, dead or clinging desperately to remain conscious.

Suddenly, Nimmi Fingers and his two thugs Gundo and Maun arrive through the gates, and seeing this, the ogre mage unleashes some harsh curses and then disappears once more, not to return! The thugs quickly dispatch the remaining giant opposition, and Nimmi appears concerned for our fallen PCs, stopping to bandage whoever might need it. After that, the roguish old man and his henchmen decide to case the Grand Mask's Lodge, Nimmi deciding to serve as a 'temporary regent' for the village, until Taias Bloodbath quickly corrects him.

Hathun, First-Week, Seventh-day, the Now-Year

The next day, the surviving heroes have healed up as much as possible and the paranoid Nexa returns with a full arsenal. A human cleric is called in to help the wounded, and then Barnowl and others help give rites to and burn the bodies of the dead Spent Men and Kaarl. They go through what belongings they can find from the giants, turning up some curious items, and then are given free reign by Taias to use the Enclave as a temporary headquarters while he tries to get the Tribe under control. The PCs discuss their next move, and decide to set back out to track the missing Wasp Riders in case there are other ogres and giants keeping them captive...

PCs: Barnowl, Borracho, Cynjak, Kaarl, SlakeThirst, Un'krug, Yor, Yukkbutt
XP Rewarded: 2350
Inspiration rewarded: 1 (to anyone who had used his)
Renown: Spent Men 2 pts, Ten-Tribes 2 pts.

17th Fire (11/4/16)

Hathun, First-Week, Sixth-day, the Now-Year

Yukkbutt examines the head that flew over the conclave wall and struck the girl who was spying on him. He hears sounds of struggle from beyond the gatehouse just to the north, and decides to seek out his companions. He grabs Nexa, Borracho and Barnowl at Pilaf's Tavern, but not before terrifying everyone that he had decapitated the Grand Mask. Pilaf fetches Vancal the Wage and Cynjak, the latter of whom sounds a war horn. Meanwhile, a severely wounded Spent Man mercenary lumbers out from the gatehouse and claims the Grand Mask and his staff have been ambushed and murdered. Once SlakeThirst, Kaarl and Un'Krug are rounded up they decide to siege the place and see what's going on.

In squirrel form, Kaarl discovers that giants have indeed assaulted the conclave somehow, a variety including ogres, the strange giants they had fought earlier that day, and an obese giant with loads of drooping flesh. Barnowl, Vancal and a mercenary scale the wall, while the rest of the PCs do a direct attack on the gatehouse, using melee weapons and spells to blow open the timbers, and then met by a pair of ogres. The battle gets intense as an ogre begins to follow Kaarl around the rooftops and down onto the ground, after the druid has called forth pterodactyls who assist the one remaining soldier within...Taias Bloodbath. The PCs eventually manage to take down the flabby giant and several ogres, but not without a number of them getting knocked out at several points...

And then, an ogre mage appears from nothingness and breathes a cone of cold upon half the party outside the gates! They manage to make the creature go back into hiding, but now, pressed on two fronts, the fatal battle continues...

PCs: Barnowl, Borracho, Cynjak, Kaarl, Nexa, SlakeThirst, Un'krug, Yukkbutt
XP Rewarded: 1100
Inspiration rewarded:
Renown:--

16th Fire (10/7/16)

Hathun, First-Week, Fourth-day, the Now-Year

The heroes absent from the battle at the Nest come to the surface of the Wasp Rider's Nest to find that their allies are severely wounded, and that Slagmoor has been lost. Little by little, the gnomes also emerge. Several characters scouts out to ensure that there are no other waves of goblins waiting in the wings, while Cynjak and some villagers set out to find tinder with which to burn the dwarf's body. Others stack and dispose of the goblin corpses outside of the village, and then Slagmoor is given a eulogy, during which gnome children leave him offerings, baubles that they had originally brought to the cave with them for safe keeping. The hunter Klovak also notes that some of the serial killing monster's tracks are leaving the village again, to the Northeast, possibly towards Briar's Edge. Whatever it is must have snuck out during the battle...

The PCs and villagers go to sleep restlessly, remaining in and around the cave in case there are further attacks, several of the Waxworks employees and Yor keep watch.

Hathun, First-Week, Fifth-day, the Now-Year

The next morning, villagers start to trickle back to their residences and places of business, including the seer Gnoreen, who is escorted by Nahar, her new manservant. The PCs meet to determine their next course of action after discussing many leads, and ultimately decide that the missing Wasp Riders could be the most pressing issue. They ignore the colossal toad sitting in Flumi's Fishery for now, and leave Klovak and Nahar behind to protect the gnomes while they travel to the southwest, where Waxmeister Sprue mentioned that the Stinkstalker Goblins (who they just fought) are rumored to keep their lair. After several hours' travel, they find a crushed Wasp Rider and its mount, with a severed head and massive blunt damage. They find some large humanoid tracks headed eastward, and track them until nighttime, at which point they set up camp west of the Whipwater. Something is stolen away at night, but nobody notices...

Hathun, First-Week, Sixth-day, the Now-Year

The PCs come across to more crushed bodies near the Whipwater, these having been severed in the midsection while sleeping by the traumatic force of their own canoe being brought down upon them by something quite strong. They cross the Whipwater, still following tracks, and find two seemingly abandoned heaps of animal skins and carcasses, or perhaps two tents, nearby...as they approach, Borracho realizes that these are not tents, but creatures, a pair of odd, mutated giants who stand up to attack them. The battle is relatively short but brutal, the mass damage and stunning abilities harry the PCs, but in the end they deal out too much damage for the brutes to withstand. After killing them, they rummage their belongings and find the carcass of a golden goat, and a fine looking sickle.

They follow the tracks to the river surrounding the Court-of-Crows, where they suddenly disappear. They can't find any evidence of them beneath the water or on the other bank, so they head into the Court to warn people. They meet up with Vancal, who tells them to warn the local watchmen and inform the fishermen of their dead, and several of the PCs also choose to go to Pilaf's Tavern. There, Borracho performs for his meal, while Yor trades a short sword so he, Nexa and Barnowl can eat. Many folks don't seem happy that Barnowl has returned, including Vancal. Kaarl, SlakeThirst and Un'Krug search around the Court but find no evidence of the other giants that they were following across the plain. Borracho tries to mess with Maun, but the spell he uses doesn't affect the shady thug.

Yukkbutt goes to lie down in a nearby field in the corner of the village, and is soon joined by a curious little girl. They hear a loud, violent scream from the compound to the north, and then a head comes flying over the gate, landing at the feet of the girl...

It's the severed head of the Grand Mask!

PCs: Barnowl, Borracho, Cynjak, Kaarl, Nexa, SlakeThirst, Un'krug, Yor, Yukkbutt
XP Rewarded: 1400
Inspiration rewarded:
Renown:--