Session 16: Of Boo-lays and Bay-bays

General Summary

The Shore’s Light had little time to react as the bulette burst from the cavern wall. In an explosion of rubble it was upon Faelyn, its enormous maw closing around the half elf’s body. With a loud crunch and a scream, Faelyn fell unconscious. The other members of The Shore’s light began to hack and harry the creature, finding weaknesses in its armored carapace, eventually driving the beast back into the earth like a great fish diving beneath the waves.   Tremors from the beast’s escape caused dirt and debris to rain from the ceiling above. The party listened in alarm as support beams groaned and distant rumblings foretold an imminent cave-in. Avoiding falling debris, leaping over timbers, and twisting their way through the dust choked air, the Shore’s Light managed to escape, a cloud of rocky debris billowing out after them. But the battle was not yet done.   Barely back on his feet, Faelyn watched in horror as a moving wave of earth began to push towards him. Steeling himself, he and the rest of the party prepared for another attack only to watch the wave subside and sink level at their feet. Keokan, however, had used Hunter’s Mark on the bulette while fighting in the cavern and could feel its presence, even underground. He deftly tracked it to a spot in the open field.   In another explosion of rock and dirt the creature leapt up to Keokan, snapping its jaws around the goliath’s thigh. Ready for the onslaught he and Aatavi retaliated, the Mysati barbarian flinging his javelin of lightning into a vulnerable spot underneath one of the heavy plates on the beast’s back. In anger it spun around to face Aatavi, opening itself up to a pair of well-placed crossbow bolts from Shadow that brought the monster down.   In the aftermath, Aatavi went to work on the beast’s flesh, taking the large back plate to make a gift for the centaurs, and testing the meat of the creature to see if it would make a good meal. It did not. They made jerky regardless. Such is the life of an adventurer.   During that evening’s camp, Thor alerted Keokan to a peculiar sight. Beside the recently recovered centaur’s bow was another of the stolen items, a fur lined satchel of antelope hide. Detecting an almost imperceptible movement within, the goliath opened its flap and discovered a clutch of eagle’s eggs. One of the eggs had recently hatched and a tiny chick was struggling for life. Keokan’s massive hands brought the newborn chick and shell from the satchel and he watched as, improbably, the eagle opened its eyes for the first time. The familiar emerald hue in the small creature’s eyes triggered something with Keokan, and he knew he was being sent a sign from Dathar-Kane.   The group set off in the morning towards the centaurs’ camp, with Keokan carrying the eaglet in a small nest he had woven and secured within the satchel. When the baby bird began to peep for its first meal, Aaura sent Flit out to hunt. The owl soon returned with a field mouse, which Keokan promptly skinned, chewed up, and fed to the tiny chirping eaglet.   A horn sounded as the group approached the encampment and Hokken galloped out to welcome their return. Within the camp, our heroes were thanked by Anayya and the rest of the Herd, and introduced to her shy newborn colt, Rudalak. When Gungaak took the satchel with the eggs from Keokan, he was surprised to learn that one of them had hatched. He explained to Keokan that because the eaglet had spied him first upon opening its eyes, Keokan was now its “Cosaii”; a master, father, and mother all in one. Gungaak was somewhat reluctant to let one of the eggs go, but helped to equip Keokan with supplies to foster the eagle on the road ahead.   That night the Shore’s Light and the Grasswind Herd celebrated within the camp; drinking an alcoholic fermented milk, dancing around the campfire (which Aaura proved especially deft at), and listening to songs and stories from the Boundless Steppes. When Aatavi gifted the bulette’s armor plate to the herd, he was reciprocated with a small medicine bag containing a pair of Sunberries. Recognizing these berries from a centaur song sung earlier in the night, Shadow told Aatavi the Legend of Yutarray, The Bountiful Chieftess.   Late in the evening, Keokan approached another of the herd who was tattooing members of the herd to mark the occasion of Rudalak’s birth and the return of the bow. With a special request, the goliath sat until nearly sunrise as the centaur tapped new designs into his skin.   The next morning saw the breakdown of the camp, as the Grasswind herd moved north to warmer climates and the Shore’s Light continued their journey west towards Damarask. With many thanks and a prolonged good-bye the two groups parted.   A couple of nights later Aatavi was on watch when a small flickering light in the distance caught his eye. Nudging Thor awake, he approached the light and discovered a small fire, lit suspiciously enough to burn itself to a smolder as he approached. When Thor began to growl and bark back towards the camp and the horses, Aatavi cursed himself for a fool; bandits were attempting to steal the horses.   The Mysati barbarian bellowed out for his companions and our heroes sprung up from their bedrolls. Although four of the bandits managed to mount the horses they were soon intercepted by Thor and Faelyn. Wasting no time, Faelyn lit up the night with an enormous plume of fiery dragon’s breath that engulfed the bandits as well as the horses. Although the effect looked spectacular, the damage was minimal and mostly served to spook the horses into throwing off their riders. Thus, the bandits were quickly foiled before any of them could abscond with the party’s mounts.   Such a show of power made the bandits realize they were overmatched and they pleaded for mercy from the heroes. Groveling through many apologies (which Aatavi found particularly irksome) they explained that they had only wanted the horses to try and make it to the Steppe Towns before winter. One of them explained that their home in Grissom Vale had recently been overrun with an evil presence that caused the dead to rise and walk to the earth.   Shaking his head, Faelyn mused, “Didn’t we just leave that party?” to which Aaura quipped, “It’s all the same party.” The heroes quickly decided that moving toward Grissom Vale would only delay them further in their quest to restore the sacred flame, and whatever ills had befallen the town were not of their concern. But what to do with the bandits?   With the bandits tied to a tree, the Shore’s Light debated with each other. Send them on their way? Leave them tied to the tree? Order them to Barter's Edge to report of what had befallen Grissom Vale? Auraa, showing kindness to the prisoners, even attempted to try and feed them some of the “Bulette Jerky” and fermented yak’s milk given to them by the centaurs. This did not sit well with Aatavi, who had no desire to share food with those who so recently had tried to harm them.   In the end our heroes suggested that the bandits should make their way (on foot) towards Damarask and ask for the help they needed. Tonight, however, they would have to get comfortable being tied to a tree.