A Gimble In The Wabe Session 8

Anointment 

The Adventures began with Tolbert the Paladin and Theolis the Ranger catching up with the party as they charged into the tomb of a long dead Club Noblewoman. As the door to the crypt slammed shut behind them the wizard Mysterios IX was separated and Bata the Druid disappeared in a flash of light to be replaced by Rolfitz Hair-Gatherer a Gnomish Rogue.

Rolfitz is a Gnome of Flintbarrow who was exiled after he contracted Burrow-Rot. He has spent the past ten years as a hired assassin in the service of the snakes, practicing his trade in the long war against the stoats. Rolfitz is an acquaintance of Bata, who spent time while training to be a Druid acting as an observer in the snake-weasel war. After his contract ended, he wandered the Faery wood as a diseased vagabond, one particularly morose afternoon while eating a tele-plum he happened to be thinking of Bata and magically swapped places with him.

The appalling, blood soaked apparition that faced them was a Banshee and after it became clear that she wasn’t going to offer them tea, the party braced for battle. As Theolis and Rolfitz advanced to bring peace to the dead through the judicious application of blades, the Banshee emitted a deadly wail that laid Pasco the Bard and Tolbert the Paladin low and wrought significant psychic damage on the rest of the party. With no place to hide Tekka began to unleash her magic, attempting to Hex the Banshee only to discover the dead are immune to necrotic damage. The situation looked grim but Theolis who was himself reeling from the wail, bravely turned his back on the Banshee in order to heal Pasco with his Ranger magic. Once restored, Pasco in turn revived Tolbert the Paladin and with renewed hope the hero’s attacked their adversary. The Banshee seemed somewhat impervious to the heroes blades, but she was being terribly wounded by Tekka’s Eldritch Blast and was finally brought to ruin by Tolbert’s holy smite delivered at the end of his massive maul.

After defeating the Banshee, the party found themselves trapped in her tomb. Two closed doors could not be opened, but each had a small hole going through the center of it. After examining the Club Woman’s sarcophagus they found an iron rod that seemed to fit the holes in the doors. The rod was charred at both ends, and the holes seemed to have carbon residue as well. After inserting the rod to no effect they finally determined it needed to be heated. Theolis and Tolbert used up all their torches heating the rod and then had to choose which door to open, the one they came through that would lead back to the surface or the other door behind which they knew not what lay. They chose the unknown and opened the stone door to reveal a chest containing the grave offerings of the Banshee, including a gold bird cage with electrum filigree and a large well made tapestry.

Now they faced another door that required the heating of the iron rod and had no remaining torches. While the party contemplated what personal belongings they might burn for fuel, Tolbert again saved the day. Casting Ensnaring Strike on the sarcophagus causing vines to sprout up, he set them on fire and cooked the rod. The way back to surface was opened. Slingoon the snake expressed his gratitude for the destruction of the man bones that drove him from his lair and vowed to make restitution to Nguru the Fox by providing her food for the rest of winter.

The heroes returned to the crannog to let Nguru know that Slingoon had left her den, and then made their way back to the Utari village. The village matron, Husiak expressed her gratitude by giving gifts of woven tunics and hide blankets. She offered to perform the ritual to allow Pasco and Bata to give their crocodile hearts to the Reed Witch. The Utari males agreed, and drank of a potent brew that transported them to a dream swamp where they found themselves confronting a gigantic crocodile. Bata charged the beast with Pasco just behind him. The Druid bludgeoned the creature with his shillelagh and the Bard pummeled it with the Shatter spell. The combat raged back and forth until Bata was swallowed by the beast. Facing the monster alone, Pasco tried a Sleep spell and the giant crocodile fell into slumber, disgorging Bata as it burst into flames that faded to reveal the Reed Witch herself. The two prostrated themselves before the Matron of Matrons who bid them rise as men of the Utari. She commanded them to defend her peoples and multiply. She then perceived a light inside the heroes and told them of the Utari’s long flight from darkness in the East, commanding that they kindle their inner flame to drive back the shadow.

While Pasco and Bata completed their rites of manhood, Huisak sensing the inner turmoil of Tekka asked the Warlock to follow her to the swamp. Tekka agreed and they led a goat to a sacred cypress grove. As the moon rose, Huisak sacrificed the goat and with its blood conjured a vision of the future. She asked if Tekka would share the vision and after some hesitation, she did so. The augury showed two futures, one where Tekka accepted her role as an Utari Matron growing wise and strong surrounded by daughters, and another where she followed a different path that culminated in an ultimate struggle with the Jabberwock itself. After the vision passed, Huisak told Tekka to choose, explaining that not all Utari women become Matrons, and that there was no shame in embracing a different fate. Tekka chose not to become a Matron, and gave her bear cub to Huisak to be returned to the Bear Mother, absolving her of the bargain. Huisak embraced her and extended a welcome to their crannog whenever she might need shelter.

The next morning, Lady Haldora the Thorn Knight arrived on the back of a Griffon.  The heroes gathered around her as she spoke; “Well well, you are all still alive. Odolotino has told me of your deeds and much else besides. You have proven to be both clever and resilient. And your decision to let the ogre go free proves that you have kind hearts and independent minds.”  She drew her sword which transformed into a giant thorn, “this is a bramble sword symbol of the Knights of the Thorn, the servants of the Faerie Queen and sacred protectors of the Tulgeywood. If it is your desire, I will now accept your oaths as initiates’ into the holy knighthood, come forward to swear fealty to the Faerie Queen and kiss the blade! “

Everyone agreed to do so and kissed the blade, then made the initiates vow of Knighthood.

“I swear to honor and obey Monalee the Faerie Queen, to forsake tribe, pack, and family for a place at her side, to make no home of my own but to accept her grace and shelter. From this day unto the end of days let her enemies be my enemies and her will my command. By the light of the queen and the power of the wood I swear this.”

After making their oaths, Lady Haldora explained that on the next Queen’s day in the season of Grillib they would be called to the Glade for the coronation of Knighthood. Until then, the Elf maiden Nicnevin, commander of the River Wardens has asked for assistance patrolling the Sweetail and protecting the Western Wood from the goblins of the east. Lady Haldora commanded that they offer their swords to Nicnevin, who would judge if they had sufficient prowess as battle captains to become Knights.  The party agreed, and after saying goodbye to Huisak and her clan stated north for Highhold, fortress of the River Wardens.

As they left the Maze Marsh and entered the Tulgeywood, they were greeted by Billwix and his band of Satyrs. Billwix had tracked them down to thank them for saving him from the Hag, and gave each member of the party a skin of potent Satyr wine. He also gave them set of pipes to be blown if they ever needed the aid of the Satyrs. Pacso graciously took the pipes and they continued their journey north. When they reached the western bank of the Sweetail near Highhold, the River Warden Clemmo met them with spruce canoes to take them to the fortress.

Satyr Wine restores 1d6+1 HP when drunk. If drunk more than once between short rest the imbiber becomes wildly intoxicated until their next long rest.

At the island fortress of Highhold, the party was brought before the Elf Maiden Nicnevin, who stopped the Jabberwock’s horde after the Battle of The Wabe. The party bowed before her, in awe of her might and beauty. Nicnevin explained that the evil druids known as Wickerlings had been increasingly seen leading bands of goblins across the river and raising the ancient Club dead that lay in the ruins throughout the wood. She asked that the party assist the Wardens and patrol from Highhold north to the Boars-run a stream that feeds the Sweetail. Instructing them to slay any goblins they find, and explore the ruins along the way to ensure they posed no threat to the people of the Faerie Wood. At the end of the audience, to everyone’s bewilderment Pasco stepped forward, he improvised a song in praise of the Elf maiden and the brave River Wardens and much to the relief of the rest of the party, Nicnevin seemed pleased. Her daughter Neohain was also in attendance, and she told Pasco to come and visit her when he returned from the patrol so they could share songs.

As they crossed the courtyard of Highhold, they found the Ogre with no heart in a cage. Clemmo explained that he had been caught crossing the river and claimed that he only wished to return to the Goblin Wood and live in peace. The heroes vouched for the ogre, corroborating his story. Clemmo agreed to tell the Maiden so she could pass judgment. They next day the again crossed the Sweetail and set off on their patrol.

With a chill in the air, and snow on the branches of the fir trees the party started north. On the second day of the patrol they heard screams; Tolbert rushed to investigate and led the party into the perfect position to ambush a group of bugbears who were in the process of flaying a dryad. Bata explained that if a bugbear eats the heart of a fey it will transform into a troll and the party wasted no time in bringing the fight to the goblins.  Tekka gained magical control of one with Crown of Madness, and Pasco put the dryad out of her misery and destroyed her heart with a Shatter spell.  The bugbears proved to be vicious but after a sharp fight they were destroyed.

The Knight Initiates now face a long patrol in woods now made treacherous with goblins. Several ancient ruins must be explored and secured. Will they make it through the winter season of Brillig and prove themselves to be worthy Knights of the Thorn?

A Gimble In The Wabe Session 7

The Trouble with Dens

Tolbert the Paladin, Theolis the Ranger, and Bata the Druid where lost in the woods (away from the table) as the adventure commenced and the party was reduced to a Bard, a Wizard and a Warlock.

Acting on the impetus of the dreams of the wise witch Huisak, the party agreed to help her tribe drive a sacred fox off the site of their unfinished crannog so that it could be completed. They crossed to the crannog in the center of a pond and confronted Nguru the Fox. She explained that a giant snake had unlawfully eaten one of her kits and taken over her home. She would leave the crannog site if the snake was made to leave her den. The Party agreed and followed her directions to her former den site, travelling up a stream that fed the pond. Tekka noticed something stalking them in the woods as they looked for the fox den but couldn’t quite make it out, and no one else noticed it so they shrugged it off. Pasco through blind luck stumbled across snake tracks and they followed them to their destination, a small hole in a hillock between two branches of the stream.

Peering from the shadows in the hole were two enormous snake eyes. As they were only three, the party decided that parlay was perhaps the best course of action. Mysterios IX made introductions, and the snake informed them that his name was Slingoon. The wizard questioned why the snake had taken Nguru's den, and Slingoon explained that man-bones had arisen and scared him out of his own lair; he fled to the fox den and in his fear and hunger ate a kit. Slingoon knew it was wrong to eat the fox, as his lawful prey is deer, musk ox, man flesh, and lizard folk. Tekka , with characteristic hot headedness admonished the snake and threatened to bring the Queen's justice which nearly caused a confrontation until Mysterios IX mediated the situation, asking if they could help Slingoon. The snake requested that the party drive the man-bones from his home and in return he would make restitution to Nguru and leave her den. The heroes agreed and followed his directions to the lair.

They trudged through the muck of the Maze Marsh to Slingoon’s lair and arrived as the sun was setting. The snake’s lair was an ancient Club tomb, and in the twilight they could see a ghostly female form brooding at the entrance.  Mysterios IX decided that invading a decrepit tomb full of man-bones and guarded by some spirit was probably better done in the morning and suggested they retrace their steps and spend the night at the fox den. The rest of the party agreed and they made camp with Slingoon. As they warily rested, Slingoon could be heard quietly weeping. The snake refused Tekka’s inquiries, but when Mysterios IX sought to comfort him he opened up to the wizard, revealing that he was afraid, ashamed, and hungry. Mysterios IX convinced him to redeem himself by joining them in driving the man-bones from his home, and the next morning the party set off with a new giant snake ally.

When they again approached the tomb, the apparition was still haunting the entrance. Slingoon revealed that he knew of another way in and the party followed the snake. As they came near to the structure, the figure in the entrance retreated into the darkness of the tomb and zombies emerged from the swamp. Facing foul peat preserved bog zombies with questionable intentions the hero’s sprang to action. Pasco drew the Sword of the Night Mother and summoned the ghost of the Priestess that dwells within. Tekka and Mysterios IX assumed their normal fighting withdraw, putting space between themselves and their foes and filling that space with magic missiles, firebolts, and eldritch blasts. Slingoon proved to be a valuable ally, fighting alongside Pasco in the melee and biting several zombies in half. More swamp zombies emerged near Tekka and Mysterios IX position, but they too were blown to nasty little bits.

After the battle, Slingoon was emboldened. I can bite these man-bones! and he triumphantly led the party straight into the main entrance. Once inside, he curled around the crumbling pillar that he was accustomed to, and sighed contentedly. Just as the party was about to convince him to continue with the job, Bata came wandering out of the woods accompanied by a Finch that had fallen in love with him. Trusting in the might of the Druids shillelagh the hero’s explored the tomb. Immediately they confronted and destroyed a Wight that had wandered up from below. Peering down the stairs from whence the Wight came, they could hear metal shod footsteps. Bata decided to send his new found finch paramour to draw out whatever was lurking in the darkness, and the party arrayed themselves to ambush whoever might come calling. The finch did not return, but another Wight came charging up the stairs, the heroes plan worked and the Wight was sent back to its resting place. After defeating the undead Club warrior, they could hear the finch calling for help and as they moved forward they found themselves in a crypt with two more Wights, one of which was biting the head off the bird. The party followed an outraged Bata into battle and smote the undead to ruin.

check out this guys amazing art: https://www.artstation.com/artist/edwarddelandre

At the top of the stairs was a magically locked door with the impression of a mace in its stone face. In the crypt where four sarcophagi, three of which were open and one that was still sealed. Mysterios IX cast Detect Magic and learned that the closed coffin contained magic. After some debate, all four of them lifted the lid and were exposed to poison gas. Pasco and Mysterios IX suffered blistering  burns, but a mace was found in the sarcophagus. The party decided a rest was in order, and convinced Slingoon to watch the door while they took a break to recover from their exertions and wounds.

Figuring they could come back to the magic door later, they proceeded to explore the tomb. The crypt had one door that opened to a stairwell. They descended and came to a long hall, bones were strewn about the stone floor which was scarred from some type of impact, and a gaping pit blocked the far side of the corridor. Suspecting traps, Bata cast Spider Climb and skittered up the walls and onto the ceiling only to accidentally trigger a swinging blade trap. He did notice an arrow slit in the wall as he extricated himself from the blades, but there seemed to be no way to access the slit without risking exposure to the trap. Mysterios IX sent his hawk familiar to fly by the slit and investigate, and the hawk revealed a archery target on the other side. Tekka then used her familiar Dustbelly to move in front of the slit while avoiding the blades, and she then used her magical connection with the Sprite to see through his eyes and direct a mage hand to activate the target and stop the trap.

Once past the blade trap the party confronted the open pit. Two pressure plates were on either side of it and the bottom could not be seen. Bata Spider Climbed to the other side and stood on a plate while Pasco stood on the other. Stone doors swung from below to close the pit and provide passage across. Everyone crossed but Pasco who was standing on the plate. He then activated his Ring of Jumping and made a mighty leap across the pit, which opened up again when he left the plate.

They passed through the door at the end of the trap filled hallway into a tight spiral stairway leading further down. With only enough room to travel single file around the blind turns, Bata led the way and quickly bumped into another Wight. This ancient Club warrior drained life from the Druid, but Bata was sustained by a Heroism spell cast by Pasco who was directly behind him. With the help of unerring Magic Missiles from Mysterios IX, and the clever use of Dustbelly’s eyes to deliver a Hex spell by Tekka, the Wight was defeated.

Emboldened and full of élan from the Heroism spell and an enjoyable afternoon of Wight bashing, Bata rushed forward and threw open the door at the bottom of the stairs. On the other side was a large pillared burial chamber, with an ornate sarcophagus on a raised dais in the center of the room. Floating above the sarcophagus was the female apparition they had seen near the tomb entrance. She slowly turned in the air to face the heroes, who prepared to face her as we called it a night…

https://www.artstation.com/artist/edwarddelandre

On Goblins

The Denizens of the Goblin Wood

After the Beast King was slain by the Jabberwock his body lay amongst the ruins of The Wabe. Mome Raths and Slithy Toves burrowed into his flesh and the Jabberwock made a nest of his corpse. As pieces of the Beast King rotted and sloughed off, the Jabberwock consumed them and birthed the goblins. They multiplied in sick fecundity and overran the eastern wood.  The goblins are evil humanoids who serve the pale green wyrm in fear and awe. They are separated into tribes and the chiefs have been made powerful through loyalty to the Jabberwock. The largest tribes are:

I tried to use monster images from the 3LBB but couldn't find kobolds. This of course is from the AD&D Monster Manual. I believe it was drawn by David C Sutherland III 

The Kobolds – Diminutive bipedal reptilian dogs. The Kobolds delight in torture and mindless destruction. Individually they are the weakest of the goblins but they are numerous and their chief is the Great Dragon Dzapkun. In battle the Kobolds will never attack in melee individually, only closing if they have two or more allies. They prefer to make use of insects to deliver poisons at range, flinging scorpions and spiders with slings.

From Men & Magic. Goblin? Dwarf? What's the difference really... 

The Goblins – Bent, ape like humanoids with pointy ears, sharp teeth and earth colored skin. There are 3,333 goblins. Their chiefs are the Eiki, viscous jelly like polyps. When a goblin dies, a new egg sac appears on the Eiki and 3 days later the goblin is reborn. The Goblins are nimble, sneaky, and proficient at hiding. In battle they prefer to set ambushes and attack from surprise. When confronted they will attempt to sneak away in order to return and strike from advantage.

From Men & Magic. This guy's hangover was interrupted by adventurers kicking down his dungeon door. 

The Orcs – Human sized sinewy limbed humanoids, with cruel faces and pointed ears. The Orcs serve evil anti-Druids known as Wickerlings, and delight in destroying plant life. They are utterly fearless, and actively seek death in battle.  When slain they have a chance (1-2 on a d6) of being reborn as an ogre in the black grove of the Wickerlings. In battle they wield greataxes and fearlessly charge their foes, fighting until they are slain. They also make use of fire as a weapon, using flaming arrows and controlled burns to harass and harm their enemies. It is not unknown for an Orc to actually set themselves on fire and wildly charge a foe.

Again from AD&D Monster Manual. I believe this is DA Trampier. This hobgoblin is not only bristling with weapons, he is also bristling with honor. 

The Hobgoblins – Tall ape like humanoids with a martial bearing and sharp teeth. The hobgoblins muster into warbands and their chief is Batu a cunning and fearsome warrior. The Hobgoblins are an organized and efficient fighting force, forming the core of the Jabberwock’s fell horde. They are adaptable and skilled, using terrain and tactics to their advantage. In battle, they will form a shield wall to protect their archers, and use missile weapons to slay magic users, before advancing into melee.

From Monsters & Treasure. One of my favorite Gnoll pics. 

The Gnolls – Tall bipedal hyenas with yellow eyes and slavering mouths. After the Battle of the Wabe, Gnodabe the Prince of Hyena’s was drawn to the slaughter. The prince was caught and corrupted by the Jabberwock, and from this corruption the Gnolls were born. Gnodabe is now a monstrous lord, and his pack haunts the Goblin Wood feeding on the weak. In battle the Gnolls attack in groups attempting to surround and separate their foes, targeting the weakest enemy first.

From Supplement I Greyhawk. The picture is actually "Bugbear, Ghoul, and Friends." I guess this is the bugbear...Link to full picture.   

The Bugbears – Great hairy brutes with bear like faces and claws. The Bugbears are the strongest of the goblins and often enslave and eat their lesser brethren. Cursed to be forever hungry, their ravenous appetites drive them to constantly hunt and consume meat of any kind. When a Bugbear eats the heart of a fey, it transforms into a Troll and the Bugbears especially seek the fey for this reason.  They are skilled hunters and despite their size are quite capable of sneaking through the woods. Their chieftain is Bykiobonda the Troll Wizard Queen.  In battle the Bugbears will let their Troll brothers assault their foes and draw attention while they sneak off to attack from surprise.

A Gimble In the Wabe Session 6

Marsh Madness

Play began with the party travelling to an Utari village (kotan) to rest and await further instruction from Lady Haldora. As they approached the village they discovered and ambushed a raiding party of lizardmen led by a lizard shaman. Theolis snuck through the reeds, placed his Hunters Mark on the shaman and then killed the lizardman with one arrow. Pasco disintegrated the skulls of two lizardman warriors with a Shatter spell and the rest fled into the reeds. After having driven off the ambush the party was welcomed into a diminished Utari village on the shores of a small lake, and brought before Huisak, the matron of the village.

The Ranger clearly excels at dealing damage, with two shorts words, hunters mark, and colossus slayer Theolis can dish out 8-30 points of damage in one strike at level 3!

Mysterios IX and Bata wandered in late. We rolled in the “Lost in the woods” table. While lost the  wizard found a flower that changes the sex of whatever eats it, and the Druid met and impregnated a fey.

Unfortunately the wizard nor anyone else ate the flower, but Bata now has a fey child out in the woods somewhere….

Huisak asked them to stay and share in the catfish stew she was preparing. She questioned why Pasco and Bata did not carry the crocodile tooth sword that denoted them as Utari men, and asked why Tekka did not have a bear cub that marked her as a woman. The hero’s explained that they indeed sought these things and were ready to undergo the Utari rites of passage.  After the meal, Paco played Swamp Hen with the matrons brother Resak, and as they both faced all three spear throws neither lost the game. That night, as they slept in the reed huts of the Utari, Huisak climbed into Theolis’s (the only Utari adult male of the party) sleeping mat. While Tekka turned down the advances of Husaiks young brother Akisi.

Huisaks clan has only two families so the arrival of other Utari (even half-Utari) presented an opportunity to grow. I’m not squeamish about sex in my D&D but we don’t go into detail.

The next day, Pasco and Bata set off with Huisak’s brothers to check the fish traps and seek crocodile hearts so that they could offer them to the Reed Witch as part of the ritual to attain manhood. Theolis accompanied Tekka to find a grey bear den and capture a cub so that she could become a woman. Tolbert and Mysterios IX wandered the swamp to find spell components.

Pasco and Bata found crocodiles basking on an islet near the Utari fish traps. Pasco cast Vicious Mockery on one to draw it out, and as the creature was charging hit it with Shatter, this of course roused the other three and in a moment the Bard and Druid where facing four angry crocodiles. Tolbert and Mysterios IX where near enough to hear the Shatter spell and rushed in its direction. Bata protected Pasco with Spike Growth and by the time the wizard and paladin arrived they had slain the creatures. After taking the hearts the party then set about skinning and cleaning the reptiles. As they were headed back to the village, the smell of the crocodile meat attracted the attention of a Black Dragon Wyrmling. Pasco lashed its psyche with the Dissonant Whispers spell and the dragon was scared off.

I think the players were kind of disappointed they didn't actually get to slay a dragon even if it was but a wyrmling. I almost never use them but this game is supposed to be exploring some of the standard 5e rules so they exist in the setting. Nevertheless, the Dissonant Whispers hurt and caused the dragon to move its maximum distance away. It made sense for it to flee, it’s not stupid and I bet they will get another chance at a dragon.

Meanwhile, to the west of the Utari kotan, Theolis led Tekka to a Grey Bear den in order to capture a cub. Tekka sent her sprite familiar into the den to explore, and when the invisable Dustbelly was quickly captured by the Grey Bear mother, Tekka decided to parlay.
She  learned from the Bear Mother that the first secret of the Utari matrons is that they exchange their firstborn for a bear cub, both to be slain blood for blood, a custom the bonds the Utari with the Bear and comes from a pact made when the Utari first came to the swamp. Tekka, being only half Utari was hesitant, until she realized she would be unlikely to have children and agreed to the exchange. The Bear Mother called upon the Faerie Queen to hear their bargain and touched Tekka on her abdomen telling her that “what comes of this is mine.” She then relinquished a bear cub to the warlock, that she might raise it to adulthood and then slaughter it to show her understanding of the natural order and fulfill the ancient pact between Bear and Man.

I don’t know if Tekka’s player had decided that Tekka thinks humans are savage before this encounter but Tekka now clearly has disdain for the human tribes. The Queen's law IS savage, the law of the jungle. When all the animals can talk it takes a certain understanding to fulfill the natural order and eat flesh. The animals are bound by the Queen's Law to eat prescribed prey, The Northrons and Southrons follow these laws, and although they are typically the apex predator their flesh too is fair game for certain animals. The customs and beliefs of the human tribes developed from the early contact with the animals and veneration or pacts with predators is essential for survival. The Elfs on the other hand, are from the moon not the wood and are thus not part of the natural order. This sets up a cool conflict in Tekka and Pasco who are half-elfin. Especially in Tekka, who gets her magic from the Queen but seems unable to accept the nature of the wood.

When the party rejoined at the village, the children of Isonash were taken to the hunters chisay and the matrons chisay for the next step in their coming of age ritual. Bata and Pasco where ritually purified with incense and tattooed along their collar bones. They were each given an emush, short swords fashioned from the teeth of giant crocodiles, and told to keep them sheathed until the Reed Witch granted permission to draw them. Tekka sat in communion with Huisak. The young warlock was irritated that Utari children were offered to the Bears and only agreed to have her hands tattooed and accept the spoon that marked her as a woman ready to breed in order to honor her father.

In celebration of the hero’s coming of age, Huisak prepared deer sausage wrapped in pukusa and served it with sito millet dumplings. While they ate Akihi burst into the chisay and warned that lizardmen were poised to attack again. The hero’s rushed outside and prepared to face ten lizardman she-warriors who were driving three giant toads to avenge the death of their husband, the shaman.

The lizardmen were separated into two groups of five on either flank with the toads in the center. After an initial volley of lizard javelins wounded Pasco and Mysterios IX , everyone in the party fell back to seek cover except Bata the Druid and Tolbert the Paladin who bravely charged the right flank.

The toads proved to be slow, and two were slain by Theolis’s arrows, Mysterios IX Witch Bolt, and Tekka’s Eldrtich Blast before they reached the mobile and withdrawing defenders. Pasco put most of the lizardmen on the left flank out of action with a Sleep spell. On the right, Tekka managed to gain mental control of one Lizardman with Crown of Madness, and Tolbert hewed through his foes with the mighty swings of his maul. Bata seemed unable to find his footing but was fortunately assisted by the Utari hunters. In the center, Theolis stood his ground to face the last giant toad and after failing to kill it, was swallowed whole. Pasco quickly slew the beast with an arrow and the ranger survived being eaten. With their toads and most of their sisters dead, the remaining lizardmen surrendered, and Tolbert took them into custody.

In gratitude Huisak prepared pipes of dried drowsyflowsy and once everyone (except the scornful Tekka) had imbibed she chanted a story of the golden otter and the tribes that made war to attain her. That night, the matron again lay with Theolis. The next morning she told the party that she had dreamed they would help her clan finish the crannog in the pond, so that they would be protected from further attacks. She explained that a fox had made a burrow on the island, and that they could not complete the fortress since they considered the fox to be sacred. She asked the hero’s for help, and we ended the game.

I awarded XP for the lizardmen that fled as well as the Black Dragon Wyrmling. Overcoming a monster does not explicitly mean slaying it. In fact, sometimes not killing a monster is worth more than just XP. Most of the party gained a level. Going from 1-4 in six sessions seems like a fairly quick pace, but looking at the advancement chart it seems that it's a pretty big jump between 4-5. Most of the players have figured out combat strategies that play to their class strengths, and some of them have even started to discover who their characters are.