The Journey Home, Part 1

The Party:

• Rig Bigny, Gnomish Beastmaster
  • Flit, the bat familiar
  • Clench, the Wardog War-Badger
  • Faufe Yitaw
    • Rawf, Wardog familiar
    • Grerr, Wardog totem animal
• Caranthir, Human Leader of Men
  • Rhea Trueheart, Elvish Nightblade
  • Lucille "Luce" Burwood, Fighter
  • Elenora Garrard, White Mage
• Gróin of Norston, Dwarven Sapper
• James Morthor, Warlock
  • Doggan, Tiny-Sized Dragon familiar
  • Iodberta, Fighter
  • Frauuara, Fighter
  • Alice, human child
• Llarm Paphyra, Elvish Polydoctorate
  • The metal man, level [variable] construct

This was a short session, due to a couple missing players.

Our heroic adventurers, carrying the Lamia’s head as proof, returned to the kobolds. This time, they were met by the chieftain; as happy as he was to be rid of the Lamia, he was carefully avoiding the subject of payment. Rig, sensing an opportunity, warned the chief that while the Lamia was dead, there was every chance it would come back as a horrible undead creature, and that if they were to be paid, they would gladly used their abilities to stop that from ever happening. As illustration, he used his innate gnomish ability to throw his voice, and cause the Lamia to speak, threatening to kill them all. The chief reacted strongly, and had the tribe shaman call the witch doctor, who brought out a cloth-wrapped athame. It didn’t have any specific identifying marks, just some general magical symbols on it. The party expressed some displeasure at having so little to gain from their endeavors, so the chief threw in some pretty shells, as well.

Meager treasure in hand, the party left to dump the Lamia head and search the final quadrant of the ruined city. As they searched the mostly-intact section, they ran into two strange creatures - they looked like hobgoblins, but were slightly larger. The creatures hardly were able to attack before they were cut down. The killing blow to the second creature was placed by two falcons, owned by a strange newcomer - Airsen Birdmaster, an Airwalker! As the party rifled through the pockets of the fallen creatures, Airsen moved closer to say hello... and the creatures stood up! The party yelped, dived for weapons, and laid them flat - this time, burning the bodies. They did manage to rescue two agate and a bag of saffron from the bodies, though.

After a bit more treasure-hunting, they managed to dig out 1200 silver pieces, a tiger eye gem, and a bronze statue. They spent a comfortable night in a lavish down-town mansion (doors boarded up, of course), and managed to avoid three hill giants - lucky for them, the giants were in a good mood, and not a building-destroying mood.

Airsen decided to join the party, and they set out together, heading back to Wallace with their monster parts and treasure. It being the middle of summer, however, the hot days grew sweltering, reducing travel speed to half; it took four days to traverse a single 24-mile hex! Luckily, there is water to be found in the plains, or they would have had trouble.

They avoided a fire salamander, but five days into their journey home, they saw a strange creature floating towards them. Were those... tentacles hanging from its body? As it drifted close enough, they realized it was no monster, but a woman, floating in the air! Morthor quickly reached out to help her; at his touch, she fell from the air, into his arms. Healed, fed, and watered, she introduced herself, and recounted her tale: her name was Leah Thewend, and she and her party (a cleric and two fighters) were heading to the ruins to see what treasure could be found, when they were attacked by a group of goblins - not many, less than 30, but well-armed and armored. She escaped over a small canyon, but a sling-stone must have knocked her out; she drifted north with the breeze, unconscious.

By the next day, the party found the remains of her group, dead, and stripped of all their gear. The only that that remained was a spear with the head of one of the fighters on it, as well as a message written in goblin: "Dirty Humans Go Home, or End Up Head Short!"

Airsen sent his hawk familiar ahead to scout the area; it reported 25 goblins, wearing armor and carrying shiny weapons, something far out of character for dirty goblins! The group prepared to attack, but stopped short of the actual battle so the missing members could join as well.

Treasure and Experience

• Gold from Treasure:
  • 1200 sp (120 gp equivalent)
  • 1 unknown magical athame
  • 1 box of shells, unsold
  • 2 agate, unsold
  • 1 bag saffron, unsold
  • 1 tiger eye, unsold
  • 1 bronze statue, unsold
  • a second bronze statue, as yet unsold
  • 1 zircon, as yet unsold
• Gold from Sales: none
• Total gold: 1200 sp
• XP From Encounters:
  • 2 Thoghrin (80 XP each)
  • 3 hill giants (600 XP each) (avoided through hiding: 0 XP)
• XP From Sales: none
• Total XP: 610 XP (450 must wait until returning to town, plus 7000 from last session)
• XP Per PC: 29 XP
• *XP per Henchman: 15 XP
• Treasure per PC: 24 gp (in silver)
• *Treasure per Henchman: 12 gp

*Only Clench, Iodberta, and Frauuara participated in any battles, and thus will receive any XP or treasure.

GM Notes

It seemed like everyone was planning on selling the magical knife; as an uncursed magical knife, it should fetch a good price.

Meanwhile, the newest NPC member of the team is actually quite gifted:

Leah Thewend: Airwalker, lvl 2, 6 HP, 520 gp, Leather Armor, Shortbow, Dagger, 19 arrows; Lip Reading, Combat Reflexes
Str 13 (+1), Int 9 (+0), Wis 7 (-1), Dex 18 (+3), Con 13 (+1), Cha 7 (-1)

Also of note were the two strange creatures the party ran into in the city. Though they look like hobgoblins, they obviously weren't, as they seem to have regenerating powers. What other trouble might those creatures bring?

Last but not least, the weather. It's already been a week of heat, and it doesn't look like it's going to get much better. Hopefully it will let up next week?