Session 66: The Nomad
General Summary
Session Commenced: The 8th day of Cyt, 1622 TER (Day 525 of the campaign)
Session Concluded: The 8th day of Cyt, 1622 TER (Day 525 of the campaign)
Beneath the sands, Syr Galindann gathered the saddlebags which had fallen from Dexter after his disappearance and he, Skulk and Orin began exploring to try and find the others. They discovered an Erg Wurm hatchling, seemingly attracted to them by the sound of their movement, and Galindann fended the creature off while Skulk circled behind it, finishing it off with a flurry of stabs. Searching for the rest of the Wildcards to re-group, Syr Galinndan squeezed through a narrow passage heading in what he hoped was a westerly direction, trying to backtrack towards where they last saw the fleeing party. Instead, he found himself face to face with a much larger Erg Wurm, retracting into its barrow, and it lunged to attack him.
Meanwhile, as Asher followed the sound of combat from the northern tunnels, Phaes and Sofia stumbled across Gemris slowly burning to death in her armour and being attacked by another hatchling. As Gemris frantically fought off the creature and her swarm spirits surrounded her, trying to ameliorate the worst of her injuries, Phaes managed to get behind her and cut her breastplate off, taking burns to her own arm as she did so. As Asher stumbled across themone of the hatchlings grabbed him and tried to drag him into the canyon wall. Asher fought the hatchling off, crushing its sense organs, but then a third hatchling erupted from the tunnel roof. Gemris savagely attacked and killed the monstrosity, which split, wildshaping into the form of a lizardfolk shaman. A short battle ensued as Asher and Phaes moved to flank the hapless shaman with Gemris, before the shaman fell. Hearing the sounds of battle from the east, they began a desprate run though the maze-like tunnels to rejoin their companions.
In the eastern reaches of the tunnels, the erg-wurm savagely mauled Skulk, cathing him in a rare moment of being flat-footed, before flinging his body upwards and swallowing him! Syr Galindann managed to fend off several more bites, calking on his oath to smite the wurm with each blow out of desperation to try and kill it before Skulk expired within its gullet. Orin backed away, smashing it with magic missiles and death knells as well. Seeing the battle turning south, Orin Misty Stepped to the opposite side of the creature, attacking it from behind to distract it and give Syr Galindann the advantage. The wurm began to bleed from the sustained damage as Skulk frantically tore at its gullet from the inside, but with one more attack it managed to drag Syr Galindanninto its gullet as well. Badly injured and having finally secured a tasty morsel to digest, the worm began to withdraw back down into its burrow. Within its gullet, Syr Galindann reached forward, discovering an unconscious Skulk. Willing the last of his energies into the damaged 'forged, Syr Galindann laid on hands, bringing Skulk to consciousness, before slipping into unconsciousness himself. As the wurm withdrew, seeing his last chance, Orin summoned his remaining magical energy and Tolled the Dead. The great wurm shuddered once, twice, great contractions passing down the length of its body as its scales began to crack and ooze black ichor, before it collapsed, dead.
Skulk grabbed Syr Galindann and frantically dragged him backwards out of the wurm's gullet, emerging in a mess of ichor and dead flesh from the creature's mouth. As he did so, the rest of the Wildcards finally pushed their way through a narrow gap into the larger canyon, surveying the fallen wurn and the injured heroes. They spent a moment regrouping and tending to the worst of their injuries, and Skulk committed little post-mortem dentistry, before the cracking of crystallized sand alerted them to another threat from the north. Another of the erg wurm hatchlings emerged from the tunnel wall, as Skulk, hidden, ambushed it, rapidly dispatching it.
Hearing the howling of winds to the east, the Wildcards followed the sound, finding a way out of the tunnels. They emerged further along the canyon, sandwiched between a massiv sandstorm approaching from the east, and the screeching of a furious Zitonai bearing down from the west. Left with little choice, they followed Orin as he led them straight into the worst of the sandstorm. Zitonai was driven off, and as they struggled through the storm, they were met by Merath, the desert nomad, and his companions Nyllian and Voyage.
The Wildcards were reunited within the Refuge, a hidden oasis that was home to Merath and his various charges, other Children of Abundance. Orin reunited with a half-orc woman named Rozmesh whom he clearly had some shared history with. Merath agreed to take on Mylla, and keep her safe. Skulk discovered that Pelenspayar - pain spire - had a different translation in ancient Elven - Wyvernspur, and that this was a location on the southern part of the continent, within the Elven lands. The party learned about the Quicksilver Lady, an aspect or a counterpart to the Raven Queen. It was this entity that had been guiding Merath to Children of Abundance for decades. And finally, they met Merath's first charge - Bethadru, an odd figure, red-skinned, covered in thick meaty scales, with a single large closed eye. This cyclopean child rested in an endless slumber, but in her dreams visited the children, and shaped the desert around them to keep the Refuge safe.
Notable Dialogue
"Cut it off! Cut it off me!"Gemris
"You okay, mothgirl?"Phaes
"You look hurt, goldenrod."Phaes
"Trust me?"Orin
"What are the Magistraum doing with the Children of Abundance?" "Preparing..."Sofia, casting Contact Other Plane
Missions/Quests Completed
- Escaped Zitonai
- Found the Nomad
- Handed over Mylla to the care of the Refuge
Character(s) interacted with
- Orin Balagansar
- Merath
- Rozmesh
- Nyllian
- Voyage
- Bethadru
Report Date
22 Sep 2021
Primary Location
Secondary Location
