Session 14 15/03/2025: Mere of Dead Men Croc eggs
General Summary
Asterlynn, the morning of the 31st until the morning of the 33rd in the year 333 AI
Mere of Dead Men
A fresh morning and our party continues towards their goal, the Fortress of Solitude. Guide by Numot's experience ranging around they follow the South-Western direction. Nakor for the time being decided his goals align with the party's and joins them. The chosen direction does take them of the main roads, so following animal trails and such navigating what is essentially a swamp is a nice task.
A while later our party, for the moment having evaded any encounters, hears a sound in the distance. Attracted by what sounds like bleating they turn their attention in the direction and manage to make out something that looks like a pasture. Sure enough, a pasture with seven sheep can be seen not much further once they crest a small rise. Moreover a small abode borders the pasture. Even to the untrained eye their seem to be few sheep, for that large a pasture. Maybe their rumors of werewolfs aren't far off; maybe here they can get answers.
As they close in on the pasture Liberty tries to talk with some sheep to get some info, but even after eating some mandarines offered by Nakor, they seemingly only think about food. Having no concepts of quantity or time, the questioning ends without success. Nothing left to do but see if anyone is home! A knock on the door later, a surprising figure opens the door. Shocked for a second the party is faced with an Ogre!
However, instead of angry and ready for attacking them, the Ogre seems equally shocked, but massively more grumpy. The earlier hacking sounds, the cleaver in his hand, as well as the pieces of mutton in his mouth point in the direction of a disturbed lunch. Grumpily the Ogre demands to know why his peaceful lunch is being disturbed by strangers on his lands, in his swamp! Altough the ytemporarily forget their manners, soon the wrinkles are smoothed over, introductions made, and a semi civil conversation takes place.
There have indeed been sheep gone missing now end then. Always on a full moon, but not every full moon. Shrek has followed the trail and found the village. His anti social nature has stopped him from entering the village, since they are many and he knows what it's like to be ostracised he decided to leave them alone. He for now had decided to just protect his sheep during the full moon and let it at that. Even the party's offer of help is met with reluctance, since he has nothing he can offer them, and he doesn't like the idea of owing anyone anything.
The party leaves the abode a little wiser, they now have an exact location of , an exact location of the Wizard and Succubus and of the Fortress of Solitude. Now they have to decide what their first destination should be. Even though the Fortress of Solitude isn't too far, the coming full moon and the call of the werewolves eventually wins, they decide to go to the village first. Shrek still can't be attracted to help them, all Resnalore does learn is that the stones forming one of the walls are older than old, placed so precisely the single blocks are hard to make out. They are also more durable than anything known in the current day. A new mystery.
As a last surprise, Nakor decides not to join our party. For now the village doesn't attract him as much as the fortress, or at least that's his explanation. It is again as a threesome the party continues (with Aphrodite and Peppermint of course). So it is our party sets out again following Shrek's directions. Their bushwacking soon attracts some unwanted attention! A Giant Crocodile has claimed them as his meal.
Warned by the sounds and overal largeness of the beast the party is well prepared. Before the Croc makes even a peep it has been slain and skinned by Liberty. Unperturbed the party discusses their course of action and they decide to find out where the Croc nested. Not much further down the swamp they find a large body of water and a nest! Protected however by another Croc, again a battle ensues. This time the croc manages to snag op Resnalore, but not much later Nakor's mandarin shots, Numot's arrows and Liberty's magic prove too much. The parents are dead. What's left is three orphaned eggs... and a proud party of parent slayers.
The eggs throw a new wind in their plans... An egg each, if they hatch and they can train their little inhabitants... Numot needs a bit of convincing though, but in the end the ydecide to try and raise the eggs. To do this they decide to return to their mansion at Phandalin. For now leaving the marshes and delaying the visit to the village.
Following their new direction, suddenly they are hit by a stench, a smell so foul it is as if death is all around them. Immediatly alarmed by this development they hear a stumbling, munching sound and see an enormous shape ahead. The shape is so horrific it seems escaped from a horror story. What's more, the shape is indeed from a horror story, ahead of them in the distance they see the shape of a Catoblepas! What's worse, it has seen them as well! Fearing this challenge too much they set out on a run! Making a surrounding movement, they eventually manage to shake the beast.
Still shivering in their bones they reach the border of the Mere, practically on the road again. Setting out watches they call it a day and get some rest again. The first half of the night passes quietly. But during Numot's watch something appears in the distance. Before he even understands what he's looking at he is suddenly electrified! His painful scream awakens the party. Taking quick stock of the situation the party finds itself surrounded by weird floating lights. Soon understanding sets in, as they have heard stories: Will-o'-Wisps .
These menaces to travellers prove a true challenge. As most attacks are of little effect and the buggers have a tendency to go invisible when the going gets tough... In the end Peppermint, Numot and Liberty are gravely injured by the electric charges these creatures use as an attack. It is with great effort that one after the other the four wisps are finally defeated. Altough the rest of the night goes well, it is a night that won't soon be forgotten.
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