Session 18: Four Friends and a Funeral

General Summary

The Road Less Traveled... With Good Reason

Continuing their journey across the kingdom, resting comfortably inside Coleman's carriage; stopping only for brief periods to allow the horses some rest, the party stayed watchful within the woods, knowing well that the Spiderhaunt is no safe place.
Camping roadside for the first night on the lightly traveled dirt trail, Therin prepared dinner while Thamior explored the nearby bushes and trees for edible roots and berries. The evening was cool for spring, otherwise filled with the sounds of nature, and not much else. After a delicious meal, Ellitock spent some time alone, in prayer to the Raven Queen, summoning herself a raven familiar. The group of adventuring friends took turns telling stories well into the evening, as Nicha played her violin quietly; utilizing its magic to dampen the traveling sound.
The following day proved uneventful until mid afternoon when the raven familiar, now named Briar, reported a man on the road about a mile out; surrounded by bodies. When the man came into view, Coleman slowed the carriage to a crawl, while Therin, Thamior and Ellitock moved forward to speak with the man. Nicha stayed back, choosing to "protect" Coleman. After a brief conversation at a distance, the man in the road identified himself as a traveling bard on his way to Stonehaven, named Luther Lovelace.
Luther opted to join the party, since his horse was slain by half a dozen goblins, their bodies laying still around him. Although the group traveled in the opposite direction, they explained to Luther that they would be returning to the capital once their business was complete in Dagger Falls. After little thought, Luther agreed and boarded the carriage with the others and as a unified group they continued their easterly trek towards the coastal town.
The following day began much the same as the previous two; Therin shook off a morning hangover by consuming more dwarven brew, while Thamior gathered nearby food for the five of them. Nicha slept in, before Coleman roused the young halfling, putting her to work in breaking camp and preparing the horses for the day of travel. Hours into their journey, the five rested easy within the closed carriage, Luther and Nicha discussing their love for music and the arts. At once, a low rumble turned to loud crash sent the horses and carriage veering off the road and into the bramble and trees; Coleman was thrown from the driver's seat and into the bushes.

My What Large.. Mandibles... You Have

Two large and two smaller ankheg erupted from the ground, setting their segmented eyes on the soft flesh of the horses. One of the larger insect-like creatures hurled a globe of acidic mucus at the lead horse, hitting it squarely and mortally wounding it before anyone within the cart could react. As the party reacted to the attack, the second of the larger ankheg burrowed back into the earth, while the smaller eagerly awaited meal time. From the ground, Coleman gathered his wits, checked to see if anything was broken, before getting to his feet and surveying the field of battle. Luther disappeared under the magic of invisibility and left the carriage opposite side to the creatures. Nicha in turn did the same, using her bardic magic to disappear from view.
Therin pushed his way out of the cart and moved to deal with a smaller ankheg as Ellie summoned a spiritual weapon and channeled the divinity of her twilight god. The hammer struck at the closest ankheg, one of the two larger creatures which just appeared under the earth having sensed the dwarven monk who threatened its larva. The hammer cracked open a large portion of the beast's carapace and in response, the ankheg sprayed some of its acidic blood out of the wounds, hitting both Ellie and Thamior within the carriage. Blood burned away parts of the carriage door as the beast began to hammer the vehicle, eager to make a meal of the two friends inside.
The battle descended into chaos as Therin was pulled underground, trapped in the large ankheg's mandibles; Ellie and Coleman attempting rescue. While at the same time, Luther flung balls of fire and Nicha stabbed away the beasts on the opposite flank. Thamior was struck a second time by the acidic blood of a large insect, but overcame his wounds with druidic healing magic. Eventually the smaller ankhegs were killed and one of the larger was driven off. Within a burrowed tunnel, Ellie had rescued Therin from the jaws of the last great beast only to be belched on, succumbing to its acidic breath. In turn, Therin attempted rescue, only to be routed, while Coleman entered the tunnels, his flintlock pistols aimed at the beast. A moment later the ankheg lay dead, half its head missing, as acidic blood exploded from the fatal would washing over both Coleman and the unconscious body of the gnome cleric.

Hail The Victorious Dead

Therin scooped up the cleric and aided the older man in exiting the tunnels. Placing Ellitock's form upon the undisturbed ground, Thamior moved towards her; once again calling upon Isha to heal the wounds of the fallen. Sadly, there was no effect. Ellitock had succumbed to her injuries and the last of her life force has faded. Nicha knelt beside her, tears in her eyes as she fixed the gnome's hair, using her magic to clean the acidic burns away from her friend. Thamior paced anxiously as Therin drank a long draught from his ale cask.
Coleman, furious with his inability to save the valiant gnome, turned his attention to his suffering horses; putting down the horse initially attacked, its body mangled and burned by acid.

“Master Gallentara requests you return to Breconary at your earliest opportunity. There has been a complication. Please respond, informing us of your arrival date.”
Leoh the Scribe.

As the party stood solemnly around Ellitock, Thamior received a Sending from the personal scribe of the Sage Gallentara. Their course changed, at least for the moment, they formed a circle, along with the surviving three horses, as Thamior invoked the Branch of the Longstrider to transport them to the secret grove within Stonehaven . From there, they planned to take their fallen friend to one of the many temples within the city, before moving onward to Breconary. Whatever the complication was, it couldn't mean good things for the group.

Character(s) interacted with

Luther Lovelace
Coleman Cross

Report Date

13 Apr 2020

Primary Location

Spiderhaunt Forest

Secondary Location

Stonehaven