Trail to Oreton 20-11-2022 [[Website/DND/Curse of the Crones/Sessions/Main/Session 1|<- Previous Session]] ### Recap After meeting in the Hall of Beds in Ockby, the party quickly find themselves in trouble as they try to rescue the farmers daughter Helena from the clutches of a local group of goblins. The trail lead them to an old tomb of the Delian knights, which was desecrated by the goblins in the name of Koth. Through some hard won fights and the brave sacrifice of Snigg Snogg, the party manages to save Helena from being sacrificed in Koth's name by a goblin cursespitter. After making their way back to Ockby and healing their wounds at the local herbalist, the party meets a monk called Smonk. The party dubs themselves the Snigg Squad in honour of their fallen comrade. Their rest is cut short by the hunter's son asking the party to help find his younger brother, who hasn't come home that night. Tracking the kid to an old abandoned war camp, the party eventually find Alvin. However, it seems that they aren't alone... ### Summary Standing face to face with a translucent spirit of the undead, the party quickly jumped into action to defend Alvin from the ghosts. However, the party seemed ill equipped to deal with the incorporeal creatures. While the party fought valiantly, the professor noticed how the ghosts seemed to want to protect Alvin and were defending more than attacking. Putting two and two together, the professor discovered that the ghosts were those of the fallen Svenrok soldiers of long ago during the war with the Reidtir kingdom. The ghosts didn't understand that the war was won many years ago and that they could rest. The party surrendered and explained the situation to the undead, who threw down their weapons and celebrated. Many of them went on to the Eternal plane to finally find their rest. However, two of the ghosts stayed around. Hearing about the pillagers and their origin in the deserters of the Reidtir kingdom, the two ghosts were willing to help the party in their quest against these ruffians. The two spirits were to travel west to the mesa and try to disrupt as much of the pillagers work as possible. Before leaving, the party promised to meet the spirits again on the 3rd of Snowfall to talk and strategize. After taking a short rest in the ruined war camp, the party took Alvin back to Ockby, but something felt off. The windows were closed, doors were barred, and not a single person was out and about. Alvin quickly recognized the threat and darted back home to his parents. Lost and confused, the party made their way into the Hall of Beds, whose door was the only one that was still unlocked. Edric was shocked to see them. He tried to get the party upstairs as quickly as possible, but it was too late. Commotion grew outside as a stampede of horses stopped outside the Hall of Beds. Edric warned the party to sit in a corner and to not make a single sound. Suddenly, the door swung open as two imposing figures stepped into the tavern. One was a bulking beast of a man, clad in leather and hide armour. Everywhere along his body were hilts and scabbards of sheathed weapons. The second figure was a tall and lanky figure draped in a long swaying cloak. He moved with a smoothness akin to hovering over the ground. His hood kept his face away from prying eyes, making it difficult to see any features. The bulky figure started extorting Edric and taking all his gold coins, along with some barrels of ale for his men. Before leaving, the brute took the gold coins from the professor who was idlily fingering them. This allowed Goryn to glimpse under the hood of the lanky figure, who had the symbol of Koth burned into his forehead. After the shakedown, the party eavesdropped on the two figures. The brute was headed south towards some kind of bridge, while the hooded figure rode off east towards Oreton. The horses rode away and as rest returned to Ockby, Maxim started to interrogate Edric about what just happened. The barman explained that the town must pay all their golden coins to Lord Grabaldus, lest the pillagers set the whole village ablaze. Ockby should be getting protection from the barons levy in Oreton. However, the baron hasn't sent any troops outside of the city for months. Goryn noticed the frustration of Maxim and started to ask him what he knew about Grabaldus and the pillagers. All Maxim shared was that Grabaldus was the leader of the pillagers and the hooded figure was likely his councilman, a powerful wizard. Maxim warned the party that sharing any more information might be too dangerous. It was better to know less for now. The party agreed to help Edric to find out why the baron hasn't sent any help, as well as ask for an audience with the baron to ask aid for Ockby. Before setting off, the party stopped by Rakan Valar. Rakan was the holy man in Ockby, who tended the shrine of the All Father. Rakan listened to the party's story about the goblins, the pillagers, and their possible connection via Koth. He asked the party to deliver a letter to the High Primogen of the basilica in Oreton if they were headed that way anyways. With a new task and letter in tow, the party said farewell to Ockby and started their journey on the Iron Road towards Oreton. On the 6th day of travel the party stopped as the professor and Maxim heard combat sounds coming from the road up ahead. After a short deliberation, the party rushed in to help. They saw a group of three people fighting what looked like fiercer and slightly larger chickens. During the battle, Maxim was petrified by one of the beasts. After felling the fowls, the party learned that the three travellers were known as the Beasty Boys led by Gobbel Glasseye, a monstrologist. The 'chickens' the party were fighting are known as cockatrices, a rare type of bird that can petrify its prey for a short amount of time. The Beasty Boys were trying to get some of the petrification glands to see if they can research them for medical purposes. After shortly resting together and waiting for the petrification of Maxim to wear off the party split their ways and waved goodbye to the Beasty Boys. On the 14th day of travel, the party had to cross a toll bridge run by a group of pillagers. Maxim tried to talk their way around it with their knowledge about pillagers. However, it was to no avail. Deciding to avoid combat, as the professor had assessed the bridge might have more enemies hidden, the party paid the toll and crossed the bridge. On the other side of the river, the Doberwood was slowly coming into view. After traveling for the rest of the day along the forest trail, the party found an abandoned cabin, which they used to spend the night in. The night, however, wasn't as tranquil as the party would have hoped. During the night under the watchful guard of Smonk, the party was attacked by a group of giant spiders. The fight was fierce, but the party managed to fend off the spiders and slay the giant arachnids. Going back to bed, the party hoped the morning would be more calm. This would not be the case. As the party awoke, they found themselves surrounded by a fine woven web. Within it lay the giant shadow of the Matriarch, mother of the giant spiders in Doberwood. The battle with the Matriarch was arduous and dangerous. The party couldn't seem to get the upper hand, until Smonk and Maxim set fire to the forest and burned the Matriarch within it. Finally able to land the killing blow, the party had to quickly evacuate the Doberwood, which was swiftly being alit by the fire. Leaving the Doberwood behind, the party continued on their journey towards Oreton. during the night of the 16th day of travel a mysterious and magical happening occurred within the sleeping bags of the Snigg Squad. Shit started to appear as people slept...The party surmised that this must have been the work of the elusive Poop Fairy. That day, further along the road, the party encountered a strange traveling merchant calling himself 'The Friend'. The merchant sold strange slightly magical trinkets and offered the party his wares. Though weary of the stranger at first, the party decided to buy both the map of material gain and the ring of locating. On the final day of travel, 18 days after leaving Ockby, the party arrived in the Blencombe Fields and had Oreton in sight. However, suspicious movement in the brush warned the party of an incoming ambush. Pillagers, led by one of their arcane slingers, tried to murder the party. The arcane slinger recognized the style of magic from Maxim and identified them as an ex arcane slinger working under Arcane Captain Weld. The fight was deadly, with the party almost succumbing to the spells of the slinger. The Snigg Squad managed to barely fend of the ambush. Maxim killed the slinger after a failed interrogation attempt. ### NPCs * **Alvin Woodwarde.** Youngest son of the hunter in Ockby. * **Dwayne.** Lost soul of a Svenrok warrior of 135 years ago. Helps the party out in the mesa until the 3rd of Snowfall. * **Edric Trailmen.** Owner of the Hall of Beds in Ockby. He is being extorted by the pillagers to give them all his gold coins. * **Lord Grabaldus.** Large and imposing figure. Leader of the pillagers in the Widelands. * **Hooded Figure.** Mysterious hooded figure who travelled with Grabaldus. Possibly the magical councillor of the pillagers? Headed towards Oreton after meeting in Ockby. * **Rakan Valar.** Clergy man in Ockby. Keeper of the shrine of the All Father. Asked the party to bring a letter to the basilica in Oreton. * **Gobbel Glasseye.** A energetic monstrologist halfling. Leader of the Beasty Boys. Busy researching the medicinal properties of petrification. * **Mike Wryleigh.** A ranger half-elf part of the Beasty Boys. Hired by Gobbel to help guide him through the Widelands. * **Rob Burson.** A human barbarian part of the Beasty Boys. Long time friend of Gobbel and mainly there for the fun and thrill of the adventures. * **The Friend.** A mysterious merchant of magical items. * **Arcane Captain Weld.** Higher up in the pillager ranks. Could be the mentor or teacher of Maxim? ### Loot * Map of Material Gain (Micra) * Ring of Locating (Professor) * Wand of Forced Aging (Isembard) * Spellbook (Isembard) * Red and Gold Potion (Goryn) [[Website/DND/Curse of the Crones/Sessions/Main/Session 3|Next Session ->]]