Session 4

A Departing Storm

Date: Wednesday, 11th of December, 2019
Attending Players: Ashara, Embra, I'shmael, Victalyasa
Time 4 Hours (Total: 11 Hours)
Pun Counter: 9 Total (Averaging 2 1/4 per session)
Game Time 1st of Sowmeadow, 3:30 PM
To
2nd of Sowmeadow, 4:00 PM
Game Locations: Enderfaso and the Kings Road heading North

The gnoll ran as hard as he could through the cool forest. Heavy rain poured from the sky, slowing his progress, but he kept going. Anger and rage rushed in his veins, but he knew defeat when he saw it.
What felt like hours later, he finally stopped, slowing from a full gallop to a trot before stopping and leaning against a tree. Blood and saliva dripped from his wheezing mouth. His companion and pets were likely killed, but they didn't mean anything to him, just something to help collect supplies. Now it was all done. He had gotten lost in his escape and was unsure where he was. The rains still fell, barely getting lighter, so he couldn't see where the sun was to find his bearings.
A foul wind picked up, carrying a groan on it. The gnoll's ears perked, looking about. It may be one of his companions after all. He turned and sniffed the air, getting no scent but his own bloody spittle. He stood tall, then buckled, the cracked ribs from that damn sorcerers magic getting the better of him.
"Krehax? Did you escape?" His words ended in a wheeze. More blood and spit came up and he coughed. He bent over for several moments. The devil woman and marleek filth would have outmatched his companion for sure, saying nothing of the elf-mixed ones that nearly finished him.
Another bedeviled noise on the winds. Like a ghostly-moan mixed with the soft sound of an hourglass trickling away. He looked up, his eyes suddenly stinging. Wiping at them, he pressed his side on the tree he was leaning on and mumbled profanities. Some tiny debris landing on his tongue as he did.
Clearing his eyes, he saw mud clumped on his fur. Around him, more mud splattered here and there. His eyes raised and he saw a fine dust. He raised his paw and caught some before it mixed with the wetness of his paw and the rain, turning to mud.
"Sand? Do the wastes yet expand?"
The tree cracked and the gnoll fell.
He turned around, before him, a creature he had never seen before. Massive, it's face twisted into agony.
Panicking, the gnoll tried to push back, but the pain in his chest made him too slow. The creature reached up, dragging dagger-like claws across its indescribable body, trails of mud running like blood before absorbing into it.
It wailed, twisting and turning, it's form moving silently and suddenly above the Gnoll. A giant fist appearing wrapped pressing the injured Gnoll into the ground. It opwened its maw, a wail blowing out, loud and forceful, the Gnoll's fur wiping backwards.
The Gnoll's last sight was torrent of sand and mud rushing over him. Swallowing him. Silencing him.

— Unobserved event northeast of Enderfaso on the 2nd of Sowmeadow, y214 of the Crown

Story Recap

• PC's are looking for High King's Inquisitor and looking to eradicate a cultist problem
• Teleporting to Enderfaso, they began questioning for cult activities in the town,
• Found a man who worshiped a strange god and knew of a temple in The Shatters,
• Found the temple and burned it down, killing the priest that taught there,
• Left for Skad, making it just outside of town

An Evening of Reflection

The PC's were at the guard barracks known as Queen Yilvara's Gate and Keep, having gotten accommodations for the night and food using the Seal of the King that General Threev gave them. Since the day was still early, just after 3pm, they decided to enjoy some time before resting.
Ashara and Ish'Mael some guards and decided to play Three Dragon Ante with them while talking. They enjoy several rounds at play and talk a bit about a group of guards sent up to Skad that hasn't reported in. They were sent to investigate and old ruin near the town that the townsfolk had been complaining about. After a few hands, Ashara gave the seat to Embra, then entire group disbanded to wander the city a bit.
Going for a walk, Ashara and Embra wander out of the city toward the coast. They speak a bit, Ashara talking some of her past and sharing she doesn't like being viewed as such a ravaging murderer to her companions. She has reasons for why she acts to unsympathetic toward her enemies. Embra shares that she too has things in her pas she is ashamed of. The conversation lulls, and they head back to the city, splitting up as Ashara find a bar in search of Victalyasa.
At the bar, Victalyasa had been drinking some and listening to a dwarven gentleman that had seemed to take a liking to her. Ashara, believing him to be bugging her, approaches defends her friend. It turns out that the dwarf, Belogo, was simple drunk and friendly. He begins to leave but tells Victalyasa that if she is ever in the Swan District, to stop by his forge, that he'll make her something nice. They then leave back to the barracks together to turn in for the night.
Embra continued on a little further, finding an Adventuring Shop nearby and looking to cure her itch to get a total discount. She's quick and nimble about it, pilfering several bags of caltrops before leaving with her small victory and going to the barracks. She rejoins the group, including Ish'Shruul, who had been spending the evening in the bathroom recovering from a bad breakfast that morning.
That night, as the group sleep, Victalyasa, being a Marleek and not needing the sleep that night, heads out after her hour of meditation, wandering the streets and sifting through refuse for any lost treasures, ultimately finding nothing of value. Shortly after Victalyasa leaves, Ashara gets out of bed too, heading out to the training grounds and collecting a dummy there, taking it into a shed. In there, she whispers the name of the last person to betrayer her before attacking it and cutting it to ribbons. She gives a prayer to Gavathrak before going back to rest for the night.

The Dangers of Travel

The next morning, the group wakes up to see heavy rains pouring down. They prepare for travel despite this, and start heading north. They make it a scant 4 hours down the road when they are caught off guard by an ambush of Gnolls. A Gnoll Hunter fires a bow into Esh'mael, as he and Embra return fire with Ish's scorcher and Embra's hand crossbow. A boar on the southern side rushes up to attack Embra, but the wagon provides protection against it. Their horse, Mr. Ed, kicks up and neighs, holding the wagon still in fright.
On the north side, Victalyasa uses her whip on another Gnoll that fired wide then gets attacked by a boar that was hidden in the woods. Ashara jumps down and joins the fray, cutting a deep gash in the boar's side, nearly killing it in one blow. The gnoll rushes at Ashara, stabbing into her with her spear, she tries to strike back, but misses her swing. Victalyasa, still using her whip, strikes the boar, thinking she snapped its neck, but it raised up after the strike, bringing her to punch it, killing it.
Back on the wagon, Embra strikes the boar with her rapier, avoiding injury through the cover provided by the wagon's siding. Ish"mael continues his magical assault, hovering in a stormy wind as he shoots out Magic Missiles at the Gnoll Hunter, causing severe injury to him. He lets a final arrow fly, hitting the floating target, before whistling to his comrades and turning to run into the woods.
Ish'null turns his magical assault onto the boar, casting down more magic missiles. Embra's blade continues stabbing into it's hide. The creature reels, nearly dead, when Victalyasa rushes up and finishes it with a heavy blow.
On the northern side of the wagon, Ashara gets stabbed a second time after she attempts to inflict magical harm with her touch. Feeling the pain, she jumps to the back of the wagon, her tail getting bitten into as she jumps behind cover. With the other foes defeasted, Embra and Ishermilk turned, pulling their crossbows up and shooting into the Gnoll. The killing blow from the half elven sorcerer with a bolt through the creatures neck.
They get back on the road in short order, travelling several hours before stopping to rest, healing their wounds. When they continue, they reach the end of the natural travel day, but are within hours of Skad, so they push the horse to continue the travelling, exhausing it a couple levels, but reaching the T-intersection that travels to Skad on an eastern road. Victalyasa is able to see through the treelines a small wagon camped under brush and tree, so the group pulls over, Embra sneaking in to see what it is.
Sneaking into the camp, Embra finds that it was largely abandoned, with only travel supplies left over. Of the bedrolls left on the bed, a single note was left with the words "Tohwn went nurth on rod, following, when your back follow." written on it. Soon, the rest of the group joins her, looking to see what she discovered. As she shares the note, the session ended, waiting to see what the PCs do with the information.