28th March 2021 - Session 7 - How Will They Save the Town? - Lisa

We return to the party in NightStone. 

The party regroups and chats about how to move forward. 

Many of the gang need sleep. 

Graupel decides to take a long rest outside the keep with her trusty steed in a small makeshift camp.

Bearnabus enters the keep and travels upwards, looking for Lady Nandor’s bedroom. Dunbar senses the genius in this idea and follows Bearnubus in search of an actual bed. 

They come upon a room with a large bed. There’s a chest by the bed, wolf rugs on the floor and a long sword hanging above the door. The pair investigate the chest. Dunbarr, having been stung by many haunted chests before, readies his axe. 

A voice from the clouds calls ‘Roll initiative’

They hear a noise from behind them. The longsword flies off the wall and tries to attack them. A scuffle ensues. Bearnabus effectively attacks the longsword with a flame blade while Dunbarr makes the unusual decision to smash the chest. 

They hear the noise of the keep guards approaching. After another brief round of fighting, Dunbarr and Bearnubus high tail it outta there. 

They pass the guards on their brave retreat and promptly gaslight them when they ask any questions. 

The guards proceed towards the bedroom. Dunbarr is visibly sweating. 

The guards open the door to the room to see what they believe to be the aftermath of the longsword’s attack on the chest at the foot of the bed. Mysteriously the longsword also appears to have suffered fire damage. 

Dunbarr and Bearnubus hold firm with their cool innocent demeanour and the guards believe them. 

While the rest of the party rests, Kin and Dipple head into town to meet Kella and Zoltan. 

Upon meeting they proclaim “This town has been claimed by the seven snakes”.

The seven snakes are a self-proclaimed group of great spies of which Kella and Zoltan are members. They work for the Zhentarim and seek profit. 

Kin and Dipple fancy their chances of two to seven and start squaring up to Kella and her bandits. Dipple tells the Seven Snakes to get out of the town.

The Seven Snakes arm themselves and get ready for battle.

Kin and Dipple look a bit spooked. The Seven Snakes explain that they want to use this town as an outpost. 

Dipple tries some diplomacy to disarm the situation. The Seven Snakes are suspicious but Dipple’s persuasion is strong. 

Zoltan offers his hand as a sign of peace and Dipple obliges and shakes on it. A temporary truce is formed. 

Zoltan agrees to a basic exchange of information. 

Dipple coins his own name for our party of heroes, the five mongooses. Dipple’s diplomacy is briefly criticized but the meeting ends in a peaceful tone. 

Kin heads to the trading post in search of more arrows for his pack. There he meets a member of the Seven Snakes protecting the arrows. His name is Shane and he kindly agrees to give Kin 30 arrows. 

Dipple wants to investigate the house where Pritt Stick came from, Kin offers to stand guard outside. He finds 4 gold and 17 silver pieces on the dead bodies inside the house. Dipple and Kin head to the keep for a rest. 

Dunbarr asks Dipple for help with his spells. Dunbarr and Dipple practise spells at night.

The gang rests. 

When they wake, Dipple tells the group what happened the night before. The keep guards mentioned how the townspeople haven’t returned yet. One of whom, the shopkeeper called Morak, is known to be a great dwarf warrior. 

The guards promise to protect the town. Bearnabus briefly considers owning the town but decides against it.

The gang leave the keep. 

The party notices Graupels appearance has changed slightly. She removes her hood to show the party her new bear ears. 

The gang discusses a plan to get everyone on horseback, while the town guards agree to disguise Graupels horse using some banners from the keep. 

Dunbarr gives Dipple a unicorn head to use as a trading tool for horses from Zoltan. 

Dipple uses his diplomacy skills to smooth things over with Zolkian and tries to exchange a silver unicorn head for four horses. It does not go well. 

Dunbarr also tries to make the exchange, it also does not go well. 

Dunbarr enquires about an opportunity to rent the horses off the Seven Snakes and they agree. The horses will be rented at the cost of five gold pieces a day. 

The party pays their 20 gold pieces to the Seven Snakes to secure the rental of the four horses for one day. It should be noted that the party has zero intention of returning the horses to the Seven Snakes. 

This provides each party member with their own horse. 

Zoltan accompanies the party on the way out of the town. He is suspicious of the source of Graupel's horse but allows her to leave anyway, citing that the mystery will be solved upon her return. 

The party follows the villagers' tracks north. 

They arrive at the base of a hill with a large cave mouth opening ahead. After tieing up their horses securely outside, the party enters the cave cautiously. Kin volunteers to stealthily scout ahead. 

Kin uses his dark vision to look into the cavern. He sees a mud pool in the distance and can just about make out the shape of an ogre treating himself to a mud bath. 

Water drips from the stalactites in the centre of the room. 

To Kin’s left and right, he can just about make out the shape of two goblins, one on each side, standing on higher up ledges. 

At the back of the cave, the outline of a distant second ogre can be seen. 

Kin ventures back towards the opening and reports the dire situation to the party. The party discusses tactics to defeat the enemies. Perhaps the stalactites can be used as weapons. Perhaps the villagers are already dead. 

Graupel uses this time to set off on her horse around the mound in search of an alternative entrance. 

The party can discern that ogres are equal parts strong and lazy. 

The session ends.