Episode 9 - No Rest For The Weary

General Summary

After receiving a small fortune and three cards from the Deck of Many Things, the party returns to The Mystery Shack where they prepare for journey towards Raiford"s Keep. Prior to leaving Fleuga, the party resupplies and prepares for the arduous trek to the capital city. Moments before leaving Fleuga, Davwyn spies a small shop he hadn’t seen before. As he enters the small store the hero notice a small mustached gnome. He initially offers Davwyn paltry baubles and nick knacks, but the Halfling feels there's something more at play. The shop keep, later identified as Pedro The Peddler, exchanges the “secret handshake” with Davwyn and ushers him into the back where he finds an old (some would say rather underwhelming) slot machine.
After thinking really hard about his deepest desires, faithfully closing his eyes, and pulling the lever, the ancient machine jumps to life and spits out exactly what Davwyn hoped for. The bemused Davwyn returns to the party and relays his excitement. At Davwyn’s behest, the rest of the party follows him to Pedro’s shop where they fill their bags with exceptional magic items. The Halflings leave the city well equipped and prepared for the unknown.
As they leave the city, the skies become increasingly dangerous and the temperature rapidly drops. The party takes shelter in tall grass and beds down for the night in preparation for a winter snowstorm. During the night watch, Beldhir spots an unknown form undulating across the horizon. As the dark mass continues toward the camp, Beldhir alerts the sleeping Halflings of the impending danger. The large shadow is soon revealed to be a stampeding herd of caribou, fleeing the impending storm. Beldhir casts web on the tall grass in order to create a protective barrier while a rogue spell catches the grass on fire. This accidental combination creates a napalm like effect that engulfs the grass in flames, trapping the party in a sticky inferno … though it does deter the caribou. Chief immediately grabs the horses, cart and Cortana and bravely leads them to safety at the edge of the field. Darla then steers the wagon to the edge of the nearby tree line where the party catches their breath.
As the little warriors regain their composure from their harrowing escape, the hairs on their necks begin to rise as they feel an evil presence surround them. A sense of dread snakes through the party as they continue to trudge through the trees. They turn and see a single set of hoof prints in the snow as a dark shapeless figure slinks into the distance, trailed by a thin cloud of black dust.
The Halflings cautiously walk deeper into the woods, since they require shelter from the icy gale. As they tip toe between the snowy branches, keeping a keen eye out for danger, Darla is suddenly snatched by her ankles and dragged screaming into the dark. The party quickly locates their kidnapped partner high in the tree tops, trapped in mid air by restraints. Beldhir immediately set the airborne shackles on fire while Davwyn attempts to set a trap for their mystery foe with his newly purchased portable hole. In a terrible twist of fate, Davwyn finds himself trapped in a cage of his own making as the corners of the portable hole are ripped away by a horrible demon-fawn. The monster turns its twisted carapace towards the heroes, revealing the legendary Krampus. Tossing Davwyn’s magical portal over its shoulder with purposeful irony, mocking his ancient nemesis, Krampus twists his cruel form into the unknown black dust and disappears once more into the icy woods.
Will the party save Davwyn before he suffocates in his velvety prison? Will the ice storm stop the adventurers from reaching Raiford"s Keep? Can the Halflings discover the Viscounts true intentions for Veg Corp and Walton Enterprises? But most troubling of all, how will Dorothy and Blanche ever emotionally recover without their handler Davwyn?!

Report Date

27 Feb 2022