Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rhael" data-source="post: 245860" data-attributes="member: 5269">(Note:  I have updated the second post (002), above, for some more details I remembered about our visit to the Loremasters.)Into the HoardeepWe followed an obvious, but rarely-used road from Taureth to the rather expansive area known as the Hoardeep.  A half-hour of walking took us to the entrance to a coniferous forest, it didn’t look haunted, but since none of us had seen a haunted forest before we didn’t really have much to go on.Regardless of the impending doom the regulars at the Drum & Sword said would befall us and being the intrepid adventurers we were, we bravely ventured forth.Given the build-up, initially the much-vaunted Hoardeep was a bit of a disappointment.  We had all expected to be hacking our way through ghosts, goblins and ghouls every step of the way.  In fact, initially at least, the Hoardeep was a fairly peaceful place.After approximately an hour, we came across an idyllic, small clearing with a small pond in the centre.  On closer inspection, the water in the pond appeared to be glowing ever so slightly.  Chade tasted the water and upon vouching for the taste, we filled some waterskins from the pond.A further two hours of walking lead us to a much larger clearing, maybe 200 yards across, from which two paths lead off, one in a westerly direction and another towards the southwest.  The clearing sloped upwards to the north-west corner and, of course, was surrounded by forest on all sides.  In roughly the middle of the clearing were three holes that each looked like the entrances to a cave.  Judging by their proximity, it would seem logical that they would all join up, but we’d just have to take a look to find out.Caves and sticks…We decided on the middle one and after lighting a couple of torches, with Terjon and myself leading the way we ventured forth.(Note:  The text relating to our adventures into the caves was spread over a long period of time, because we had to head back to town and heal up in between forays, I have summarised the more interesting areas without detailing every time we went back to town and came back again.)The caves were apparently a natural creation, but it was obvious that there had been (or was currently) residents based on scrape marks on the walls and footprints in the dirt.  It also appeared that some areas of the caves had been shored up with wooden beams.  The cave did not descend far into the earth, but the slight downward grade sloping land above our heads meant that we were, in fact, going further underground.  The cave wandered slightly, and there were some intersections, at which we had developed the habit of going left first.A small group of what we guessed to be bugbears were the first residents we encountered.  Similar to the goblins in Enlor’s tomb, they had made their ‘home’ in some of the smaller caverns in the complex.  It was a pitched battle, we despatched our adversaries but not before Terjon received a near fatal blow from one of the bugbears’ morningstars and Warramayl was also injured.  Chade revived the paladin and was tending to Warramayl’s wounds when Mareth handed Terjon a waterskin.  Apparently, that was one of the skins filled at the glowing pond (either that, or the water in Taureth has miraculous healing properties), because Terjon’s wounds magically closed over and he claimed to be feeling just fine as he leapt to his feet.Chade was very excited by this and floated the idea of opening a store near the pond to sell the magical water to the citizens of Taureth.  Apart from being generally appalled at the idea, I argued that it was impractical.  “How can you expect people to travel for two hours, entering an area they are all scared witless of, just to come and buy water?”  I asked.“Once they find out that it heals wounds, they will come.” He responded.I left it at that and hoped he would forget about it.Among the bugbear’s belongings we found a strange stick-like object with stylised spiders carved into it.  According to Entarsis it was magical and he figured it was probably a wand, but he would have to take some time to study it closely.  He appeared kind of excited.  We allowed the sorcerer to hang onto his pretty, new stick.We found (and killed) two more groups of bugbears in the areas of the caves relatively close to the entrance and ascertained that all the cave entrances were connected to the same cave complex before we decided to head back to Taureth with our loot (some coins and other stuff we took from the bugbears).Entarsis said that he needed some time alone with his new stick to attempt to identify what it did.  He also said that he needed a hundred gold to buy some material components for the spell he was going to cast.  We all dug deep and volunteered equal shares of the cash.  We stayed in Taureth the next day to allow Entarsis time to commune with the ‘wand’.  Reikon went off to do, well, whatever it is Reikon does when we’re not around.  Terjon went to a slummy section of Taureth to give away his portion of our loot.  The rest of us spent the time restocking our torch supplies and looking around town for some better quality weapons (and discovered that we couldn’t’ afford any).We were sitting around in the common room when Entarsis came down from the room he was sharing with Warramayl, looking quite triumphant he walked purposefully over to our table and sat down.  “It’s a wand of web.” He whispered so only we could hear him.  We all knew that Entarsis was a spellcaster and it didn’t worry us, but others are not so understanding.“How many charges?” Reikon asked, being the only other arcane spellcaster in the group.Entarsis looked a little embarrassed.  “One.”“One?!” I exclaimed in a voice loud enough to draw more glances from other patrons that I would have liked.“One.”  Entarsis confirmed.“We paid a hundred gold for that!?”“Well, yes.”“It had better come in useful.”“Uh huh.”“Oh well.  Hang onto it, that’s a damn expensive stick.”We resolved to search deeper into the cave complex the next day.More caves, but no more sticksThe journey to the caves was more exciting than the last one (just).  Being the rogue and the ranger in the group, Reikon and I regularly scout ahead of the group to, hopefully, provide some early warning of danger in our path.Today, we found some.  About a hundred yards ahead of the group to the left-hand side of the path were a trio of owlbears, headed directly for us.  I made the birdcall that Reikon and I had worked out, indicating that we should head back to the group.  I heard the reply and hurried the fifty feet back to the group.  Terjon halted the group as I ran up to them, waiting for information.  “Three owlbears to the West Nor-West.”  Remembering their reputation for ferociousness the next move was obvious.  “We’ll go this way and skirt around them.”  I continued, pointing to the south.   Warramayl looked disappointed.  “Don’t worry, Warra.”  I remarked as we hurried southwards, “you’ll have plenty more chances to die.”We stopped roughly three hundred yards from the path, where I paused to make sure of our bearings before we set off in the direction I determined to be west.  Remembering the roughly south-westerly direction the path we took two days hence, I figured we would meet it again if we continued in this direction.Sure enough we once again arrived at the clearing and headed for the cave entrances – the north-most was chosen this time.We were soon back in familiar territory, revisiting the bugbear lairs to ensure they had not been repopulated.  After determining that they were still empty.  Working our way what I guessed to be roughly north-wards, we found a very large cavern of indeterminate length.  Sticking close to the wall, we headed along it’s length.  I don’t know how I missed it, but before we could react a purple tentacle-like object whipped out of nowhere and hammered me against the cave wall.  In the next few seconds, which seemed to go very slowly, three more tentacles struck at Terjon, Warramayl and Entarsis from out of the darkness.  Fortunately, the initial attack on yours truly had given them time to dodge attacks coming there way.“Come on, guys.”  I winced as I gulped the air that had been driven from my body.  “We’ll get out of it’s range.”  I got to my feet and started moving north.  Hugging the wall, myself, Mareth and Entarsis headed away from the area where the purple tentacles were.  “Let’s go!”  I yelled as I saw Chade suddenly burst into light then throw the source of the light, a copper piece, toward our attacker.  Reikon was already loading an arrow into his longbow, Warramayl had his sling out and Terjon was pulling out his sword.  Damn them!  I was in the process of yelling “It’s just a plant“ when I was cut off by an ear-piercing shriek.  On the edge of the torchlight was an apparently immobile, disgusting little bubble-like creature covered in eyes and mouths, from which the noise was coming. Unable to concentrate on what Terjon and the others were doing against their barely-sentient adversary and finding myself unable to move with my hands over my ears, I could only watch as Mareth drew his rapier and ran at the bubble-beastie.  Entarsis moved a little closer to give Mareth light and started muttering to himself and moving his free hand.  A glowing, magical dart sprang forth from his outstretched hand and plunged into the bubble, just as Mareth struck it with his rapier.  Entarsis pulled out his sling, I found my feet had returned to my control and we made short work of little-mr-screeching-bubble-thing.When we returned to the site of the purple tentacle-plant, we could see several Reikon’s arrows protruding from it’s centre-mass and several of it’s tentacles hacked off.  Warramayl was nursing a bruised shoulder, which Chade was attending to and Terjon was wiping some purple ichor from his longsword and Reikon was retrieving Chade’s copper piece.“Well, that was fun.”  I remarked.  “You okay, Warra?”“Yeah.”“By the gods!”  Chade exclaimed.  “What was that noise!?”“That squashed thing over there.”  Mareth pointed vaguely in the direction of the dead bubble-beastie.“If I never see one of those again, it will be too soon.”  Entarsis added.“Any idea what either of these things were, Rhael?”  Reikon asked me.“Nup.” I replied.  “Let’s just hope there are no more.”The others nodded their agreement as we resumed our exploration of the cave.Finding no more assailants in the cave depths, we made it to the other end.  At the end was a pool of water, completely black because of the lack of light, and obviously relatively deep.  Reikon took off his pack and extracted a small frog.“Where’d the frog come from, Reik?”  Chade asked the obvious question.“He’s my familiar.”  Reikon replied.  “Like Entarsis’ rat.”“Oh.”  Chade obviously understood the whole thing just as well as the rest of us, because he just left it there.“I’m going to get him to swim into the pond and tell me how deep it is.”  With that, he pushed the frog toward the water’s edge, into which the frog gleefully leapt.  Needless to say, I was sceptical, and I could tell that Terj shared my feelings.After a few minutes, the frog returned to the surface and Reikon picked him up, looking disappointed.“Of course, I failed to realise that frogs can’t count and certainly can’t measure.  Damn.”  He looked meaningfully at the wet, green amphibian.  “I hope you enjoyed yourself.”  I was shocked to see the frog nod, almost imperceptibly, but didn’t bother mentioning it.“Oh well.  Back the way we came.”  Mareth said.  With that, we turned away from the pool and walked back to the entrance to the large cave.</blockquote>

Verification