Session 3: Midnight Creepers, Wanted Posters, Motherfucking Kisha, Anarius, Sylvans, and Horrors
General Summary
Goldenhome Session 3
Sept 6, 2021
It is time for sleeping. Grandfather and Hobgoblin are sharing room and I have no desire to exchange girlish chit-chat with cat lady or hear about how much Birdman wants cracker, so I take GG up on somewhat skeevy offer to share room. We chat for time and he tells me he has been member of Lightkeepers for many years, but I can tell there is much he is keeping from me. He seems more interested in talking about Anarius than in my numerous charms, but at least he shows no undue interest in Grandfather.
He sleeps on couch and I take bed, as is right and proper. I am settling down to a few good hours meditation when I hear Grandfather’s voice in hall grumble, “Be quiet, Asshole!” That is weird thing for Grandfather to say out in hallway in middle of night. I leap from bed, (disentangling myself from grasp of gnome who has crept in next to me) and rush out door only to see shadow escaping downstairs. I pursue shadow outside of inn but whoever it is, they can fly and manage to escape across lake. Well, shit.
Grandfather and I have hurried discussion in light of events and decide time has now come for us to depart Blackrock Falls. Grandfather leaves note for Hobgoblin telling them to head toward crack where we encountered thugs and we will meet them on way. We find decent hiding spot to spend uncomfortable remainder of night. A group of three people pass by us some hours later -- two tall people and one shorter one and I think to myself it must be patrol, but this is not case. Just watch, these assholes will show up later in story.
After group joins us in morning looking like they had much more pleasant evening than we did, we continue back toward ruins. When we reach place where thugs were hiding in crack, I decide to check out their hidey-hole. What can I say? I am naturally curious person.
Thugs are gone at moment, but they left behind gear. Snooping through bags reveals a bit of surprise.
Oh, shit.
I slip the paper to Grandfather. He concurs.
We continue on, eventually reaching Giant Hole of Frog Slaying. I hate this place. Cat lady crosses quickly, then me. Grandfather is coming next.
Remember the three assholes? Well, here they are.
Motherfucking Kisha drops out of hole above us on to rope where Grandfather is crossing and severs it before anyone knows what is happening. I have to admit, it is pretty bad ass move.
Hobgoblin whips out hand and intones, “Like leaf on wind!” and Grandfather falls not as fast. Then Bird flaps over and pushes him onto ledge. Moriz pops out like little rat he is, and starts creating havoc, but Grandfather does that thing where he makes enemy glow purple and that seems to annoy Moriz. Good. It also lights up third asshole who was hiding in waterfall. Shots are exchanged but it is not long at all before newly revealed dwarf takes look at us badasses and leaps to his death, taking Moriz with him. Ok, perhaps not to death, but it is certainly act of coward. So long, assholes!
Kisha blows me little kiss and takes off downward fast. Too fast. I suspect she was flying shadow last night. Also little kiss was pretty nice touch. Damn, I do not want to admire bitch, but she has style. I will enjoy killing her.
Now, let me take opportunity to say Bird may be crazier even than me. He takes off into complete darkness after assholes (and let me remind you, he is completely blind in dark) and comes back with nasty crossbow bolt sticking out of him for his troubles. Kisha almost had herself lovely chicken dinner.
Bird helps replace rope and rest of group crosses safely. GG has questions but we tell him it was bandits. He does not seem to believe this totally believable lie, but he can’t prove otherwise. Old shit is your business, Little Man, this is not.
We walk for another few hours before finding camp in concealed cave above main path. Cat and I take watch and see/smell group of six trogs passing beneath us, looking all beat to shit. They are also, strangely, carrying torches. Trogs see fine in dark (unlike Birds). Why the torches? Cat notices that there are too many shadows. Fucking creepy. We keep heads down and let them pass.
The next morning we continue journey, but it is not long before we come on remains of 4 trogs, looking all withered and even nastier than usual. Were not there six last night? Anyhow, Grandfather and I have brief moment of levity posing bodies like they died in middle of nasty trog orgy. No one else seems amused, but that is because they have sticks up their asses. Drow humor is highest form of humor.
We reach Anarius. Bird and Hobgoblin escort GG to buildings. Grandfather and I move ahead to guard passage from Sylvan mines. Cat hangs back to guard passage we came from. Like well-oiled machine. My contempt for them all may have decreased slightly, but I reserve right to bump it back up as necessary.
Guarding this passage seems overly cautious. I mean, what is chance that bunch of Sylvans come…oh right, here come Sylvans now. Grandfather and I fall back to the portal room and Hobgoblin sends Cat message with his mind. Probably he said, “Scary Cat Lady, this is message from Old Hobgoblin Dude. I know Drow have things under control but you may wish to return so they can protect you as well.” She gets message and hurries back, so I guess she agreed this was wisest path.
Now, this is best part. Remember when trogs jumped us here before? Well, I find place where they hid up above in ceiling and wait there. A few moments later two Sylvan walk in all tra la la la la and I fall down in front of them and whack goes stick! Naturally, I choose Fancypants with shiny armor and particularly smug attitude. I hit him so hard with stick he temporarily forgets to think about how great he is. Then I hit him again and he is laying on ground. More Sylvans arrive and there is great battle. I am hitting many Sylvans with stick, but, to be fair, others are also doing damage.
Fancypants jumps back up again, surprising hell out of me honestly, and hits me hard. An archer then shoots me in shoulder, and now it is my turn to forget how great I am for a few minutes. Fortunately, I am healed by Hobgobin and Grandfather. I play dead for a minute, then, when opportunity arises, I leap up and knock him right back on his ass. We kill a few more Sylvan and then there is only one lonely little archer left out in cavern. I am getting ready to deliver killing blow to Fancypants when archer gives sudden screech and keels over dead. I look around but no one has shot him. What is happening?
Oh.
I guess Horrors are not cave frogs after all.
Grandfather decides that perhaps it is time we share secret stuff with GG and gives him the little metal cylinder we found on pedestal before. All of us rush to circle on floor, then GG sets code on cylinder and slams it down on pedestal.
We hear startled gasp and find ourselves someplace else.
Report Date
07 Sep 2021